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. 2022 Jul;28(7):859-865.
doi: 10.1016/j.jiac.2022.03.001. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of infections with seasonal human coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus in hospitalized children immediately before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Yohei Kume  1 , Koichi Hashimoto  2 , Kazuya Shirato  3 , Sakurako Norito  1 , Reiko Suwa  3 , Mina Chishiki  1 , Takashi Ono  1 , Fumi Mashiyama  4 , Izumi Mochizuki  5 , Masatoki Sato  1 , Naohisa Ishibashi  5 , Shigeo Suzuki  5 , Hiroko Sakuma  4 , Hitoshi Takahashi  6 , Makoto Takeda  3 , Mitsuaki Hosoya  1
Affiliations

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of infections with seasonal human coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus in hospitalized children immediately before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Yohei Kume et al. J Infect Chemother. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: Seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV)-229E, -NL63, -OC43, and -HKU1 are seasonal coronaviruses that cause colds in humans. However, the clinical characteristics of pediatric inpatients infected with HCoVs are unclear. This study aimed to compare and clarify the epidemiological and clinical features of HCoVs and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which commonly causes severe respiratory infections in children.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from all pediatric inpatients with respiratory symptoms at two secondary medical institutions in Fukushima, Japan. Eighteen respiratory viruses, including RSV and four HCoVs, were detected via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Of the 1757 specimens tested, viruses were detected in 1272 specimens (72.4%), with 789 single (44.9%) and 483 multiple virus detections (27.5%). RSV was detected in 639 patients (36.4%) with no difference in clinical characteristics between RSV-A and RSV-B. HCoV was detected in 84 patients (4.7%): OC43, NL63, HKU1, and 229E in 25 (1.4%), 26 (1.5%), 23 (1.3%), and 16 patients (0.9%), respectively. Patients with HCoV monoinfection (n = 35) had a significantly shorter period from onset to hospitalization (median [interquartile range] days, 2 [1-4.5] vs. 4 [2-5]), significantly shorter hospitalization stays (4 [3-5] vs. 5 [4-6]), and more cases of upper respiratory infections (37.1% vs. 3.9%) and croup (17.1% vs. 0.3%) but less cases of lower respiratory infection (54.3% vs. 94.8%) than patients with RSV monoinfection (n = 362).

Conclusion: Seasonal HCoV-infected patients account for approximately 5% of children hospitalized for respiratory tract infections and have fewer lower respiratory infections and shorter hospital stays than RSV-infected patients.

Keywords: Children; Coronavirus; Croup; Hospitalization; Human coronavirus; Respiratory syncytial virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Trends in the number of patients with RSV and those with HCoV per month during the two-year and six-month survey period. A: RAV A and B; and B: HCoV-HKU1, -OC43, -NL63 and 229E.RSV, respiratory syncytial virus; and HCoV, human coronavirus.
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