SARS-CoV-2 infection in children in Moscow in 2020: clinical features and impact on circulation of other respiratory viruses

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the circulation of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in hospitalized children. Methods 226 and 864 children admitted to Children's City Clinical Hospital with acute respiratory infection in September-November of 2018 and 2020 in Moscow were tested for respiratory viruses using multiplex PCR and Mycoplasma pneumoniae/Chlamydia pneumoniae using ELISA. Results The detection rate of non-SARS-CoV-2 viruses in 2020 was lower than in 2018, 16.9% vs 37.6%. An increase in the median age of children with the respiratory viruses was observed during the pandemic (3 years vs 1 year). There was no significant difference in the frequency of ICU admission among children with SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory virus infections (2.7% vs 2.9%). SARS-CoV-2 and hRV, hMPV, hAdV showed significantly lower than expected co-detection rates during co-circulation. An increase in BMI or bacterial coinfections lead to an increased risk of ICU admission and a longer duration of COVID-19 in children. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the epidemiological characteristics of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses during the autumn peak of the 2020 pandemic, compared to the same period in 2018.

Global Coinfections with Bacteria, Fungi, and Respiratory Viruses in Children with SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The overall pooled proportions of COVID-19 children who had laboratory-confirmed bacterial, fungal, and respiratory viral coinfections were 4.73% (95% CI 3.86 to 5.60, n = 445, 34 studies, I 2 85%, p < 0.01), 0.98% (95% CI 0.13 to 1.83, n = 17, six studies, I 2 49%, p < 0.08), and 5.41% (95% CI 4.48 to 6.34, n = 441, 32 studies, I 2 87%, p < 0.01), respectively; (Figures 3-5). [4][5][6][7][8][9]12,13,20,23,32,36,39,57,58,63,64,66,69,77,80,81,84,85,88,98,105,109,[131][132][133]135,137,139]. In bacterial coinfected COVID-19 children, subgroup analysis showed some difference in the rates between all patients (patients in the ICU and non-ICU group or ICU only group); the ICU and non-ICU group showed a prevalence of 4.91% (95% CI 3.97 to 5.84, n = 431, 28 studies, I 2 87%, p < 0.01), while the ICU only group showed a prevalence of 3.02% (95% CI 1.70 to 4.34, n = 14, six studies, I 2 0%, p = 0.90), respectively; Figure 3.…”

“…Funnel plots for possible publication bias for the pooled effect size to determine the prevalence of bacterial, fungal, and/or fungal coinfections in children with COVID-19 appeared asymmetrical on visual inspection, and Egger's tests confirmed asymmetry with p-values < 0.05; Figures 6-8. [4][5][6][7]9,12,20,23,32,36,39,57,58,63,64,66,69,77,80,81,84,85,88,98,105,109,[131][132][133]135,137,139]. 2).…”

“…Figure 3. Pooled estimate for the prevalence of bacterial coinfections in children with COVID-19 stratified by the ICU admission (ICU and non-ICU compared to ICU only) [4][5][6][7][8][9]12,13,20,23,32,36,39,57,58,63,64,66,69,77,80,81,84,85,88,98,105,109,[131][132][133]135,137,139]…”

COVID-19 and Respiratory Virus Co-Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…The next two COVID-19 pandemic seasons (2020-2021 and 2021-2022) were dominated by the emergence of the more transmissible Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants with immune escape capacity [4], while influenza had a negligible epidemiological and clinical impact if at all [16,17]. The circulation and morbidity burden of other respiratory viruses [e.g., RSV, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), adenoviruses, rhinoviruses] were also highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with wide temporal and geographic fluctuations [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

Сombined infection of COVID-19 with ARI of various etiologies in children: prevalence and features of the course

“…внештатный специалист по инфекционным болезням у детей, Москва; mazankova@list.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0895-6707 Острые респираторные инфекции являются серьезной проблемой общественного здравоохранения и основной причиной заболеваемости и смертности детей во всем мире [1]. Определение этиологии заболевания у пациентов с респираторными симптомами остается сложной задачей, поскольку признаки и симптомы часто похожи между собой и не патогномоничны для какого-либо одного вирусного заболевания [2]. Межвирусные взаимодействия влияют на эпидемиологию респираторных инфекций, однако воздействие респираторных вирусов на SARS-CoV-2 в настоящее время малоизучены [3].…”