Perturbations in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Ann R Falsey; Andrew Cameron; Angela R Branche; Edward E Walsh

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiac434

Perturbations in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

J Infect Dis. 2022 Dec 28;227(1):83-86. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac434.

Authors

Ann R Falsey¹, Andrew Cameron², Angela R Branche¹, Edward E Walsh¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.
² Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.

PMID: 36315855
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac434

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory disease in all age groups, with young children and older adults experiencing the most severe illness. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in striking changes in the activity of seasonal respiratory viruses, including RSV. After a period of suppression early in the pandemic, an interseasonal surge of RSV occurred in 2021. Viral activity was detected primarily in children and young adults after relaxation of public health measures, but without the usual proportional increases in infections and hospitalizations in older adults who were likely still adhering to stricter public health measures.

Keywords: epidemiology; respiratory syncytial virus; viral testing.

MeSH terms

Aged
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Child
Child, Preschool
Humans
Pandemics
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections* / epidemiology
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human*
Respiratory Tract Infections*
SARS-CoV-2
Young Adult