ObjectivesTo identify factors independently associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) detection in infants admitted for viral bronchiolitis during 3 consecutive years, before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic, in Bogota, Colombia, a middle‐income country with a subtropical highland climate.MethodsAn analytical cross‐sectional study was conducted before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic, including patients with a diagnosis of viral bronchiolitis admitted to all the hospitals of the city between January 2019 and November 2021. We evaluated a set of a priori‐selected predictor variables that included individual, healthcare system, meteorological, air pollutant, and COVID‐19 variables. Since the variables analyzed are hierarchical in nature, multilevel modeling was used to identify factors independently associated with detection of RSV as the causative agent of viral bronchiolitis.ResultsA total of 13,177 patients were included in the study. After controlling for potential confounders, it was found that age (odds ratio [OR] 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76–0.97), a third level of medical care institution (OR 3.05; 95% CI 1.61–5.76), temperature (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.24–2.07), rainfall (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.001, 1.005), NO2 (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.95–0.99), CO (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.99–0.99), and COVID‐19 pandemic period (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71–0.99) were independently associated with RSV detection in our sample of patients.ConclusionsThe identified factors associated with RSV detection provide additional scientific evidence that may be useful in the development of specific interventions aimed at ameliorating or preventing the impact of RSV in Bogota and probably other similar low‐ to middle‐income countries in high‐risk infants.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of RSV bronchiolitis and the influence of meteorological and air pollutant factors on the isolation of RSV in infants admitted for viral bronchiolitis during three consecutive years, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Bogota, Colombia, a middle-income country (MIC) with a tropical climate. Methods. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, including patients with a diagnosis of viral bronchiolitis admitted to all the hospitals of the city between January 2019 and November 2021. Predictor variables included meteorological and air pollutant parameters. We adjusted multivariable analysis to identify factors independently associated with isolation of RSV as the causative agent of viral bronchiolitis. Results. A total of 12,765 patients were included in the study. After controlling for potential confounders, it was found that age (OR 0.87; CI 95% 0.77–0.98; p=0.029), COVID-19 pandemic (OR 0.74; CI 95% 0.64–0.86; p<0.001), temperature (OR 1.85; CI 95% 1.47–2.33; p<0.001), and interaction terms between SES and NO2 (OR 1.04; CI 95% 1.01–1.07; p=0.002), and between rainfall and NO2 (OR 0.99; CI 95% 0.998–0.999; p=0.010) independently predicted the isolation of RSV as the causative agent of viral bronchiolitis in our sample of patients. Conclusions. The identified predictors for isolation of RSV as the causative agent of viral bronchiolitis provide additional scientific evidence that may be useful in the development of specific interventions aimed at ameliorating or preventing the impact of RSV in Bogota and probably other similar LMICs in high-risk infants.