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. 2022 Sep;16(5):926-936.
doi: 10.1111/irv.12998. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

International changes in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemiology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Association with school closures

Marie-Noëlle Billard  1 , Peter M van de Ven  2 , Bianca Baraldi  1   3 , Leyla Kragten-Tabatabaie  4   5 , Louis J Bont  5 , Joanne G Wildenbeest  1
Affiliations

International changes in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemiology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Association with school closures

Marie-Noëlle Billard et al. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Little RSV activity was observed during the first expected RSV season since the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple countries later experienced out-of-season RSV resurgences, yet their association with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) is unclear. This study aimed to describe the changes in RSV epidemiology during the COVID-19 pandemic and to estimate the association between individual NPIs and the RSV resurgences.

Methods: RSV activity from Week (W)12-2020 to W44-2021 was compared with three pre-pandemic seasons using RSV surveillance data from Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Israel, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands and the United States. Changes in nine NPIs within 10 weeks before RSV resurgences were described. Associations between NPIs and RSV activity were assessed with linear mixed models. Adherence to NPIs was not taken into account.

Results: Average delay of the first RSV season during the COVID-19 pandemic was 39 weeks (range: 13-88 weeks). Although the delay was <40 weeks in six countries, a missed RSV season was observed in Brazil, Chile, Japan, Canada and South Korea. School closures, workplace closures, and stay-at-home requirements were most commonly downgraded before an RSV resurgence. Reopening schools and lifting stay-at-home requirements were associated with increases of 1.31% (p = 0.04) and 2.27% (p = 0.06) in the deviation from expected RSV activity.

Conclusion: The first RSV season during the COVID-19 pandemic was delayed in the 11 countries included. Reopening of schools was consistently associated with increased RSV activity. As NPIs were often changed concomitantly, the association between RSV activity and school closures may be partly attributed to other NPIs.

Keywords: COVID-19; RSV; SARS-COV2; non-pharmaceutical interventions; seasonality.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of country selection
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Changes in non‐pharmaceutical interventions, weekly proportions of RSV detections and RSV epidemics from W11–2020 to W44–2021 and in pre‐pandemic seasons, in 11 countries
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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