A surge in respiratory syncytial virus infection-related hospitalizations associated with the Covid-19 pandemic

An observational study at pediatric emergency referral hospitals in Tokushima Prefecture

Bibliographic Data

ID19592129
AuthorsKoichi Shichijo (0000-0002-8448-4895, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Shoko Fukura (Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Shunsuke Takeuchi (0000-0002-9837-2499, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Takahiro Tayama (Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Akemi Ono (0000-0002-9489-3967, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Yuko Ichihara (0000-0002-5970-2547, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Kenichi Suga (0000-0003-3588-4347, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author), Hiroki Sato (0000-0003-2290-2286, Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Atsumi Takechi (Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Sonomi Matsumoto (Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Shuji Fujino (Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Takako Taniguchi (0000-0001-9388-9969, Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Akiyoshi Takahashi (Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Tsutomu Watanabe (0000-0002-9582-4656, Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, corresponding author), Shuji Kondo (0000-0003-4875-0786, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, corresponding author)
EditorsEverton Falcão De Oliveira (0000-0002-0074-5278)
Year2023
Volume3
Issue6
Pagese0001974
Publication date2023-06-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0001974
PMID37267243
OpenAlexW4379197084
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited8

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulted in implementation of social distancing and other public health measures to control the spread of infection and improve prevention, resulting in a decrease in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pediatric respiratory tract infection rates. However, there was a rapid and large re-emergence of RSV infection in Japan. Notably, we were faced with a difficult situation wherein there was a shortage of hospital beds. This study aimed to examine the epidemiological patterns of RSV-related hospitalizations among children before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset at two pediatric emergency referral hospitals covering the entire Tokushima Prefecture. Data were extracted from electronic medical records of children hospitalized with RSV infection between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021. All patients meeting the eligibility criteria were included in this study. The rates of study outcomes were documented annually during 2018–2021 and compared between the 2018–2020 and 2021 periods. In 2020, there was no RSV infection outbreak. Hospitalizations at the peak week in 2021 were 2.2- and 2.8-fold higher than those in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Hospitalizations in 2021 were concentrated within a short period. In addition, there was a significant increase in hospitalizations among children aged 3–5 months and those older than 24 months. The high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) use rate nearly doubled in 2021. A new pandemic in the future may cause an outbreak of RSV infection that can result in an intensive increase in the number of hospitalizations of pediatric patients requiring respiratory support, especially in infants aged

Cannula · Disease · Family medicine · Infection control · Intensive care medicine · Nasal cannula · Observational study · Outbreak · Pandemic · Public health · Referral · Medicine · Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections · Respiratory viral infections research · Tracheal and airway disorders · Emergency Medicine · Epidemiology · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics · Surgery · Virology