Distribution of spreading viruses during COVID-19 pandemic: Effect of mitigation strategies

• Published in: American journal of infection control Vol. 49; no. 9; pp. 1142 - 1145
• Main Authors: Kıymet, Elif, Böncüoğlu, Elif, Şahinkaya, Şahika, Cem, Ela, Çelebi, Miray Yılmaz, Düzgöl, Mine, Kara, Aybüke Akaslan, Arıkan, Kamile Ötiken, Aydın, Tuğçe, İşgüder, Rana, Yılmazer, Murat Muhtar, Ayhan, Yüce, Gülfidan, Gamze, Bayram, Arzu, Bayram, Nuri, Çelik, Tanju, Alp, Yaşar Tamer, Devrim, İlker
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2021; Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Co-detection; Coinfection - epidemiology; Coronavirus disease-2019; COVID-19 - transmission; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Isolation strategies; Major; Male; Pandemics; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2); Virus Diseases - transmission; Viruses; Isolation strategies; Coronavirus disease-2019; Co-detection; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.06.002

•In this study, co-detection with other viral respiratory pathogens in children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections was found to be 8.2%.•In children with suspected coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) during the pandemic period, the most common detected viral respiratory pathogens were rhinovirus (30.4%), SARS-CoV-2 (23.8%) followed by respiratory syncytial virus (3.5%) and enteroviruses (1.7%).•Remarkably, influenza virus detected only in 2 children which were found to be in the initial period of pandemic.•There is a decline in the frequency of all viral pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 in correlation with the national-based mitigation strategies against COVID-19 during the pandemic. The study aimed to evaluate the distribution of circulating respiratory viral pathogens other than severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the first year of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with especially focusing on the effects of the national-based mitigation strategies. This single-center study was conducted between March 11, 2020-March 11, 2021. All children who were tested by polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 and other common respiratory viral pathogens were included in the study. A total of 995 children with suspected COVID-19 admitted to the study center. Of these, 513 patients who were tested by polymerase chain reaction for both SARS-CoV-2 and common respiratory viral pathogens were included in the final analysis. Two hundred ninety-five patients were (57.5%) male. The median age was 3 years of age (27 days-17 years). A total of 321 viral pathogens identified in 310 (n: 310/513, 60.4%) patients, and 11 of them (n: 11/310, 3.5%) had co-detection with more than 1 virus. The most common detected virus was rhinovirus (n: 156/513, 30.4%), and SARS-CoV-2 (n: 122/513, 23.8%) followed by respiratory syncytial virus (n: 18/513, 3.5%). The influenza virus was detected in 2 patients (0.4%). A total of 193 patients were negative for both SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens. There is a decline in the frequency of all viral pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 in correlation with the national-based mitigation strategies against COVID-19 during the pandemic.