In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open , researchers examined the demographics, clinical outcomes, and respiratory support modes of children infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) between 2017 and 2023. RSV is the leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations due to respiratory complications of bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and apnea. Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, over two million children aged ≤ 5 in the United States (US) required medical care for RSV.
However, pediatric RSV hospitalizations declined markedly during the pandemic but resurged in 2022. Emerging reports suggest a shift in the pediatric RSV demographic due to non-exposure to the virus in early life and altered virus seasonality during the pandemic. Study: Pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalizations and Respiratory Support After the COVID-19 Pandemic .
Image Credit: Blanscape / Shutterscape In the present study, researchers compared the clinical outcomes of RSV-infected children aged ≤ 5 pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Patients from 48 children’s hospitals participating in the US Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) were evaluated. Patients with an RSV infection between July 2017 and June 2023 were identified from the PHIS database.
Demographic details, such as age, sex, child opportunity index score, and race/ethnicity, were collected. Clinical characteristics included hospital admission, service level (emergency, inpatient, or intensive care), and.
