%0 Journal Article
%T Resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus infection during COVID-19 pandemic in Pune, India.
%A Bhardwaj S
%A Choudhary ML
%A Chadha MS
%A Kinikar A
%A Bavdekar A
%A Gujar N
%A Dcosta P
%A Kulkarni R
%A Bafna S
%A Salvi S
%A Padbidri V
%A Potdar V
%J BMC Infect Dis
%V 24
%N 1
%D 2024 Jun 14
%M 38877428
%F 3.667
%R 10.1186/s12879-024-09426-6
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection in children worldwide. Understanding its prevalence, variations, and characteristics is vital, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>The study aimed to investigate the RSV positivity rate, subtype prevalence, age and gender distribution, symptomatology, and co-infection rates during pre-pandemic and pandemic periods.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We analyzed data from 15,381 patients tested for RSV between 2017 and 2023.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Our analysis revealed a 7.2% average RSV positivity rate in the pre-pandemic period, with significant fluctuations during the pandemic (1.5% in 2020 to 32.0% in 2021). We observed variations in RSVA and RSVB detection rates. The 0-4 years' age group was consistently the most affected, with a slight male predominance. Fever and cough were common symptoms. Therapeutic interventions, particularly antiviral usage and ventilation requirements, decreased during the pandemic. We also identified variations in co-infection rates with other respiratory viruses.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our study offers critical insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on RSV prevalence, subtype distribution, patient characteristics, and clinical management. These findings underscore the need for ongoing surveillance and adaptive public health responses.