Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections; however, other respiratory viruses besides SARS-CoV-2 continue to cause illness in hospitalized children. This study aimed to assess the frequency of common respiratory viruses, other t...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11293-8 |
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| author | Reihaneh Hosseinpour Sadeghi Babak Pourakbari Shima Mahmoudi Reza Ahmadi Erfaneh Jafari Sadaf Sajedi Moghaddam Maryam Sotoudeh Anvari Mahmoud Khodabandeh Setareh Mamishi |
| author_facet | Reihaneh Hosseinpour Sadeghi Babak Pourakbari Shima Mahmoudi Reza Ahmadi Erfaneh Jafari Sadaf Sajedi Moghaddam Maryam Sotoudeh Anvari Mahmoud Khodabandeh Setareh Mamishi |
| author_sort | Reihaneh Hosseinpour Sadeghi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections; however, other respiratory viruses besides SARS-CoV-2 continue to cause illness in hospitalized children. This study aimed to assess the frequency of common respiratory viruses, other than SARS-CoV-2, in children hospitalized with respiratory symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine rates of co-infection with multiple viruses. Materials and methods This study included 92 pediatric patients admitted to the Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, Iran, between December 2021 and March 2022, all of whom tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 by Real-time PCR. Nasal swabs were collected and PCR/RT-PCR tests were used to identify other respiratory viruses, including Influenza A (FluA), Influenza B (FluB), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Parainfluenza Virus (PIV), Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Adenovirus (ADV), Human Coronavirus OC43 (HCOV-OC43), and Metapneumovirus (MPV). Clinical information, including symptoms, laboratory results, and patient outcomes, was also gathered and analyzed. Results Among the 92 patients, 67.3% (n = 62) tested positive for at least one of the targeted respiratory viruses. FluB was the most prevalent, detected in 60.9% (n = 56) of cases, followed by CMV in 12% (n = 11), and HCOV-OC43 in 5.4% (n = 5). RSV and ADV were each identified in 2 patients (2.2%), while PIV was found in 3 patients (3.2%), including two cases of PIV-1 and one case of PIV-3. No cases of FluA or MPV were detected. Co-infections occurred in 13 patients (14.1%), with FluB exhibiting the highest rate of co-infection, particularly alongside CMV in 7 cases, followed by PIV (3 cases), ADV (2 cases), and HCOV-OC43 (2 cases). Laboratory comparisons among patients with single-virus infections (FluB, CMV, and HCOV-OC43), those with no detected virus, and those with co-infections revealed a statistically significant difference in lymphocyte counts (p-value = 0.027). Conclusion While the focus during the pandemic has largely been on SARS-CoV-2, other respiratory viruses, particularly Influenza B, continue to affect hospitalized children. The frequent occurrence of co-infections with multiple viruses underscores the need for comprehensive diagnostic testing to accurately identify respiratory pathogens in pediatric patients. These results highlight the importance of sustained monitoring and management of diverse respiratory viruses beyond SARS-CoV-2, given their continued clinical relevance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-be3bc7450abe4074bb79c0d9f5f24a67 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-be3bc7450abe4074bb79c0d9f5f24a672025-08-20T04:01:47ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342025-07-012511910.1186/s12879-025-11293-8Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemicReihaneh Hosseinpour Sadeghi0Babak Pourakbari1Shima Mahmoudi2Reza Ahmadi3Erfaneh Jafari4Sadaf Sajedi Moghaddam5Maryam Sotoudeh Anvari6Mahmoud Khodabandeh7Setareh Mamishi8Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesPediatric Infectious Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesBiotechnology Centre, Silesian University of TechnologyDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesPediatric Infectious Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesPediatric Infectious Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesMolecular Pathology and Cytogenetics Division, Pathology Department, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesPediatric Infectious Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections; however, other respiratory viruses besides SARS-CoV-2 continue to cause illness in hospitalized children. This study aimed to assess the frequency of common respiratory viruses, other than SARS-CoV-2, in children hospitalized with respiratory symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine rates of co-infection with multiple viruses. Materials and methods This study included 92 pediatric patients admitted to the Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, Iran, between December 2021 and March 2022, all of whom tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 by Real-time PCR. Nasal swabs were collected and PCR/RT-PCR tests were used to identify other respiratory viruses, including Influenza A (FluA), Influenza B (FluB), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Parainfluenza Virus (PIV), Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Adenovirus (ADV), Human Coronavirus OC43 (HCOV-OC43), and Metapneumovirus (MPV). Clinical information, including symptoms, laboratory results, and patient outcomes, was also gathered and analyzed. Results Among the 92 patients, 67.3% (n = 62) tested positive for at least one of the targeted respiratory viruses. FluB was the most prevalent, detected in 60.9% (n = 56) of cases, followed by CMV in 12% (n = 11), and HCOV-OC43 in 5.4% (n = 5). RSV and ADV were each identified in 2 patients (2.2%), while PIV was found in 3 patients (3.2%), including two cases of PIV-1 and one case of PIV-3. No cases of FluA or MPV were detected. Co-infections occurred in 13 patients (14.1%), with FluB exhibiting the highest rate of co-infection, particularly alongside CMV in 7 cases, followed by PIV (3 cases), ADV (2 cases), and HCOV-OC43 (2 cases). Laboratory comparisons among patients with single-virus infections (FluB, CMV, and HCOV-OC43), those with no detected virus, and those with co-infections revealed a statistically significant difference in lymphocyte counts (p-value = 0.027). Conclusion While the focus during the pandemic has largely been on SARS-CoV-2, other respiratory viruses, particularly Influenza B, continue to affect hospitalized children. The frequent occurrence of co-infections with multiple viruses underscores the need for comprehensive diagnostic testing to accurately identify respiratory pathogens in pediatric patients. These results highlight the importance of sustained monitoring and management of diverse respiratory viruses beyond SARS-CoV-2, given their continued clinical relevance.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11293-8Respiratory virusesInfluenzaCo-infectionHospitalized children |
| spellingShingle | Reihaneh Hosseinpour Sadeghi Babak Pourakbari Shima Mahmoudi Reza Ahmadi Erfaneh Jafari Sadaf Sajedi Moghaddam Maryam Sotoudeh Anvari Mahmoud Khodabandeh Setareh Mamishi Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Infectious Diseases Respiratory viruses Influenza Co-infection Hospitalized children |
| title | Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized children during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | evaluation of common respiratory viruses other than sars cov 2 in hospitalized children during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Respiratory viruses Influenza Co-infection Hospitalized children |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11293-8 |
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