In a recent research letter published in the journal JAMA Network Open , scientists in Italy compared the rates of respiratory medication usage and wheezing due to bronchiolitis among children born during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-associated lockdowns in Italy and those born in the winter months before the pandemic, when the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus infections was high. Research letter: Wheeze Among Children Born During COVID-19 Lockdown . Image Credit: Herlanzer / Shutterstock Emerging evidence from epidemiological studies shows that the lockdowns and social distancing measures implemented in many countries to curb the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also reduced the incidence rates of other respiratory viruses.
Other disease mitigation measures, such as frequent handwashing and masking, have also contributed to lowering the rates of respiratory illnesses. The respiratory syncytial virus is responsible for close to 80% of bronchiolitis cases in children, and respiratory syncytial virus infections generally occur in the winter months. It also increases the risk of asthma and wheezing.
Here, the researchers aimed to understand whether children born during the COVID-19-associated lockdowns, when their exposure to the respiratory syncytial virus would have been low, had a lower risk of wheezing or asthma. The present research included children born during the COVID-19-associated lockdown in Italy.
