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. 2022 Nov-Dec;98(6):579-586.
doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2022.03.003. Epub 2022 Apr 19.

Rhinovirus as the main co-circulating virus during the COVID-19 pandemic in children

Fernanda Hammes Varela  1 , Ivaine Tais Sauthier Sartor  2 , Márcia Polese-Bonatto  2 , Thaís Raupp Azevedo  2 , Luciane Beatriz Kern  2 , Tiago Fazolo  3 , Caroline Nespolo de David  2 , Gabriela Oliveira Zavaglia  2 , Ingrid Rodrigues Fernandes  2 , João Ronaldo Mafalda Krauser  2 , Renato T Stein  1 , Marcelo Comerlato Scotta  4
Affiliations

Rhinovirus as the main co-circulating virus during the COVID-19 pandemic in children

Fernanda Hammes Varela et al. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2022 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Objective: Changes in the epidemiology of respiratory infections during the restrictions imposed as a response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been reported elsewhere. The present study's aim was to describe the prevalence of a large array of respiratory pathogens in symptomatic children and adolescents during the pandemic in Southern Brazil.

Methods: Hospitalized and outpatients aged 2 months to 18 years with signs and symptoms of acute COVID-19 were prospectively enrolled in the study from May to November 2020 in two hospitals in a large metropolitan area in a Brazilian city. All participants performed a real-time PCR panel assessing 20 respiratory pathogens (three bacteria and 17 viruses).

Results: 436 participants were included, with 45 of these hospitalized. Rhinovirus was the most prevalent pathogen (216/436) followed by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, 97/436), with a coinfection of these two viruses occurring in 31/436 participants. The remaining pathogens were found in 24 symptomatic participants (adenovirus, n = 6; Chlamydophila pneumoniae, n = 1; coronavirus NL63, n = 2; human enterovirus, n = 7; human metapneumovirus, n = 2; Mycoplasma pneumoniae, n = 6). Hospitalization was more common among infants (p = 0.004) and those with pathogens other than SARS-CoV-2 (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: During the period of social distancing in response to COVID-19, the prevalence of most respiratory pathogens was unusually low. Rhinovirus remained as the main virus co-circulating with SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 in symptomatic children was less associated with hospitalization than with other respiratory infections in children and adolescents.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coinfection; Rhinovirus; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig 1
Figure 1
Study flowchart. From this total of hospitalized participants, 32 individuals were admitted at inclusion, and 13 were hospitalized within the 28-day follow-up period.
Fig 2
Figure 2
Proportion of detected pathogens, according to age group. (yr) years.
Fig 3
Figure 3
Absolute frequency of rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2 and other detected pathogens (adenovirus, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, coronavirus NL63, enterovirus, metapneumovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae) considering the epidemiological weeks from May to November 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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