Insights in paediatric virology during the COVID‑19 era (Review)

Abstract

The present article provides an overview of the key messages of the topics discussed at the ‘7th Workshop on Paediatric Virology’, which was organised virtually on December 20, 2021 by the Institute of Paediatric Virology, located on the Island of Euboea in Greece. The workshop's plenary lectures were on: i) viral pandemics and epidemics in the ancient Mediterranean; ii) the impact of obesity on the outcome of viral infections in children and adolescents; and iii) COVID-19 and artificial intelligence. Despite the scarcity of evidence from fossils and remnants, viruses have been recognised as significant causes of several epidemics in the ancient Mediterranean. Paediatric obesity, a modifiable critical health risk factor, has been shown to impact on the development, progression and severity of viral infections. Thus, the prevention of paediatric obesity should be included in formulating public health policies and decision-making strategies against emerging global viral threats. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, artificial intelligence has been used to facilitate the identification, monitoring and prevention of SARS-CoV-2. In the future, it will play a fundamental role in the surveillance of epidemic-prone infectious diseases, in the repurposing of older therapies and in the design of novel therapeutic agents against viral infections. The collaboration between different medical specialties and other diverse scientific fields, including archaeology, history, epidemiology, nutritional technologies, mathematics, computer technology, engineering, medical law and ethics is essential for the successful management of paediatric viral infections. The current COVID-19 pandemic has underscored this need, which should be further encouraged in modern medical education.

Respiratory adenovirus infections in children: a focus on Africa

“…Consequently, HAdV has been less impacted by the implementation and easing of public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Zambian study reported HAdV being identified at higher rates from nasopharyngeal samples throughout the 2020-2021 period of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to before the pandemic [21]. Interestingly, this heightened presence of adenovirus was observed a year into the pandemic rather than in its early stages [22], suggesting a nuanced temporal dynamic that may be related to the virus gradually occupying a specific ecological niche [23,24].…”

Navigating paediatric virology through the COVID‑19 era (Review)

“…The present review describes the key messages addressed during the recent 8th Workshop on Paediatric Virology, which was organised through the COVID-19 era by the Institute of Paediatric Virology (IPV; https://www.paediatricvirology.org ) on October 20, 2022 ( 4 ). The workshop was coordinated virtually by the Paediatric Virology Study Group (PVSG); this is the third year that this workshop adopted a hybrid format and did not require the physical presence of its participants due to the COVID-19 pandemic ( 5 , 6 ). The workshop focused on the following factors: i) New advances in antiviral agents and vaccines against cytomegalovirus (CMV); ii) hantavirus nephropathy in children; iii) human rhinovirus (HRV) infections in children requiring paediatric intensive care; iv) complications and management of human adenovirus (HAdV) infections; v) challenges of post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) in children and adolescents and vi) foetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in viral infections involving the central nervous system (CNS) ( Table I ).…”