COVID-19 Pandemic Alters Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Trends in Children

Strategic Insights -

A new study has shed light on the changes in the age distribution and severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalizations in children since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from Hunan Normal University, in collaboration with other institutions, investigated the epidemiological trends and clinical characteristics of RSV infection among children hospitalized with acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) before and during the pandemic. The study found that the RSV detection rates differed significantly among the years, with the highest detection rate in 2021. Additionally, the research revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, RSV-infected children were older and had a lower rate of wheezing, and the disease severity increased in the age group of under 2 years old.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study aimed to investigate the epidemiological trends and clinical characteristics of RSV infection among children hospitalized with ALRTI before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The research was conducted from January 2018 to December 2022 in Hunan, China, and collected data on hospitalized children 14 years or younger with RSV-positive ALRTIs.
  • The RSV detection rates differed significantly among the years, with the highest detection rate of 30.90% in 2021.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, RSV-infected children were older, had a lower rate of wheezing, and the disease severity increased in the age group of under 2 years old.
  • The study was supported by the Hunan Provincial Medicine and Health Research Program, Major Scientific Research Project for High-Level Health Talents in Hunan Province, and Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Children's Respiratory Diseases.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in Translational Pediatrics.

Statistics:

  • 4,269 children were hospitalized with ALRTIs during the study period, with an RSV detection rate of 17.68%.
  • The RSV detection rates differed significantly among the years, with the highest detection rate in 2021 (30.90%).
  • RSV-infected children during the COVID-19 pandemic had a lower rate of wheezing compared to those before the pandemic.
  • The disease severity increased in the age group of under 2 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Studies from Hunan Normal University Update Current Data on COVID-19 (Seasonal Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Patients With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection By Age During Covid-19: a Cross-sectional Study). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. August 3, 2025; p 183.
  • Translational Pediatrics. Seasonal Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Patients With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection By Age During Covid-19: a Cross-sectional Study. 2025.