Respiratory Syncytial Virus Outbreak Without Influenza in the Second Year of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A National Sentinel Surveillance in Korea, 2021–2022 Season

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus (IFV) infections would occur in 2021–2022 as domestic nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are easing.
Methods: Data were collected from the Korean Influenza and Respiratory Virus Monitoring System database. The weekly positivity rates of respiratory viruses and number of hospitalizations for acute respiratory infections were evaluated (January 2016–2022).
The period from February 2020 to January 2022 was considered the NPI period. The autoregressive integrated moving average model and Poisson analysis were used for data analysis. Data from 14 countries/regions that reported positivity rates of RSV and IFV were also investigated.
Results: Compared with the pre-NPI period, the positivity and hospitalization rates for IFV infection during 2021–2022 significantly decreased to 0.0% and 1.0%, respectively, at 0.0% and 1.2% of the predicted values, respectively. The RSV infection positivity rate in 2021–2022 was 1.8-fold higher than that in the pre-NPI period at 1.5-fold the predicted value. The hospitalization rate for RSV was 20.0% of that in the pre-NPI period at 17.6% of the predicted value. The re-emergence of RSV and IFV infections during 2020–2021 was observed in 13 and 4 countries, respectively.
Conclusion: During 2021–2022, endemic transmission of the RSV, but not IFV, was observed in Korea.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 Nguyen C, "Viral respiratory infections of adults in the intensive care unit" 31 (31): 427-441, 2016

2 Belongia EA, "Variable influenza vaccine effectiveness by subtype : a systematic review and meta-analysis of test-negative design studies" 16 (16): 942-951, 2016

3 Gomez GB, "Uncertain effects of the pandemic on respiratory viruses" 372 (372): 1043-1044, 2021

4 Leung NH, "Transmissibility and transmission of respiratory viruses" 19 (19): 528-545, 2021

5 Edwards KM, "The impact of social distancing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on respiratory syncytial virus and influenza burden" 72 (72): 2076-2078, 2021

6 Baker RE, "The impact of COVID-19nonpharmaceutical interventions on the future dynamics of endemic infections" 117 (117): 30547-30553, 2020

7 Hall CB, "The burden of respiratory syncytial virus infection in young children" 360 (360): 588-598, 2009

8 Park S, "Shifting patterns of respiratory virus activity following social distancing measures for coronavirus disease 2019 in South Korea" 224 (224): 1900-1906, 2021

9 Falsey AR, "Respiratory syncytial virus infection in elderly and high-risk adults" 352 (352): 1749-1759, 2005

10 Hayden FG, "Respiratory syncytial virus antivirals : problems and progress" 222 (222): 1417-1421, 2020

11 Kim JH, "Respiratory syncytial virus and influenza epidemics disappearance in Korea during the 2020–2021 season of COVID-19" 110 : 29-35, 2021

12 KDCA, "Quarantine management flow chart for overseas entrants (entrants via an airport)"

13 Eden JS, "Off-season RSV epidemics in Australia after easing of COVID-19 restrictions" 13 (13): 2884-, 2022

14 Young June Choe, "Measuring the Unintended Effect of Nonpharmaceutical Intervention" 대한의학회 37 (37): 1-2, 2022

15 van Summeren J, "Low levels of respiratory syncytial virus activity in Europe during the 2020/21 season : what can we expect in the coming summer and autumn/winter?" 26 (26): 2100639-, 2021

16 Lessler J, "Incubation periods of acute respiratory viral infections : a systematic review" 9 (9): 291-300, 2009

17 Nolen LD, "Impact of social distancing and travel restrictions on non-coronavirus disease 2019(non-COVID-19)respiratory hospital admissions in young children in rural Alaska" 72 (72): 2196-2198, 2021

18 Fourgeaud J, "Impact of public health measures on the post-COVID-19 respiratory syncytial virus epidemics in France" 40 (40): 2389-2395, 2021

19 Huh K, "Impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions on the incidence of respiratory infections during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outbreak in Korea : a nationwide surveillance study" 72 (72): e184-e191, 2021

20 Yeoh DK, "Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 public health measures on detections of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in children during the 2020 Australian winter" 72 (72): 2199-2202, 2021

21 Sombetzki M, "Impact of changes in infection control measures on the dynamics of COVID-19 infections in schools and pre-schools" 9 : 780039-, 2021

22 Shi T, "Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in young children in 2015 : a systematic review and modelling study" 390 (390): 946-958, 2017

23 Zheng Z, "Estimation of the timing and intensity of reemergence of respiratory syncytial virus following the COVID-19 pandemic in the US" 4 (4): e2141779-, 2021

24 Olsen SJ, "Decreased influenza activity during the COVID-19 pandemic-United States, Australia, Chile, and South Africa, 2020" 69 (69): 1305-1309, 2020

25 Rodgers L, "Changes in seasonal respiratory illnesses in the United States during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic" 73 (73): S110-S117, 2021