Timely association of RSV hospitalisation waves in children with the prevalence of SARS – CoV-2 in the general population

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Background: The RSV season 2023/2024 showed relevant differences to previous seasons with an abrupt decrease in hospitalisations rates and two low instead of one high peak in hospitalisations. Aims and objectives: In order to explore potential reasons for the deviation of this RSV hospitalisation wave in children, we analysed this RSV season compared to previous seasons and in relation to the occurrence of other virus infections. Methods: We studied eight concomitant RSV seasons since 2016 retrospectively in children who were hospitalised due to an RSV infection in Regensburg, Germany. We investigated the epidemiological features of the three post-pandemic seasons in relation to local and national surveillance data for SARS – CoV-2 and rhinovirus. Results: Overlooking 3 post-pandemic seasons of RSV hospitalisation waves in children we found that the pattern of the 2023/2024 wave differed from previous waves investigated since 2016. The size of the 2023/2024 wave was less than expected and the peak was smaller. When we analysed national and regional surveillance data for viral infections it became obvious that RSV hospitalisation waves are affected by to the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general populations, which occurred anti-cyclic to RSV waves. This was not observed for rhinovirus. Conclusions: Our data suggests that high rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general population may disrupt infection chains of RSV in children. This factor must be taken into account when assessing the effects of upcoming RSV prophylaxis in the future.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.