Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic on common childhood respiratory viruses - An epidemiological study based on hospital data

Abstract

Considering common childhood respiratory viruses and SARS-CoV-2 share similar transmission routes, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to prevent SARS-CoV-2 may affect the epidemiology of respiratory viruses. Therefore, our study aimed to observe the epidemiologic characteristics of common childhood respiratory viruses in 2020 (after the pandemic) compared with 2019 (before the pandemic) in Hangzhou, China. The data were compared between 2019 and 2020 based on age and month, respectively. One or more viruses were detected in 3135/21452 (14.61%) specimens in 2019, which was significantly lower in 1110/8202 (13.53%) specimens in 2020. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most commonly detected virus in 2019 and 2020. The positive rate of adenovirus (ADV), parainfluenza virus (PIV)1, PIV2, and PIV3 in 2020 was significantly decreased in 2019. In 2020, RSV replaced ADV as the most predominant virus in children aged 1-6 years, and the positive rate of influenza virus A (FluA), influenza virus B (FluB), PIV1, and PIV2 was not correlated to age. FluA, FluB, and PIV2 were not almost detected from February 2020. The positive rates of ADV and PIV1 were uncorrelated to the month in 2020. By strict NPIs, besides controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, incredible progress has been made to reduce the prevalence of common childhood respiratory viruses.

Keywords: COVID-19; Childhood respiratory viruses; Non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Fig. 1

The important events about the COVID-19 pandemic in Hangzhou, China.

Fig. 2

Proportions of respiratory viruses were detected in 2019 (a) and 2020 (b).

Fig. 3

The number of each virus-positive specimens based on age in 2019 and 2010.

Fig. 4

The percentage of each virus-positive specimens based on age in 2019 and 2010.

Fig. 5

Respiratory viruses were reported in different age groups in 2019 (a) and 2020 (b).

Fig. 6

The number of each virus-positive specimen based on months in 2019 and 2010. The two gray blocks represented the reopening of primary and secondary schools in Hangzhou from April to June in 2020 and the fall semester from September to December in 2020.

Fig. 7

The percentage of each virus-positive specimen based on the month in 2019 and 2010. The two gray blocks represented the reopening of primary and secondary schools in Hangzhou from April to June in 2020 and the fall semester from September to December in 2020.