COVID-19 Impact on RSV Emergency Presentations

Bronchiolitis is a very common winter disease that normally affects children less than one year of age. It is a common reason for parents and carers to bring their child to an Emergency Department (ED) and the frequent need for hospital admission means that paediatric units are at their capacity each winter. During the COVID19 pandemic the virus that causes bronchiolitis (Respiratory Syncytial Virus; RSV) disappeared meaning this winter there have been virtually no cases of bronchiolitis in the United Kingdom. This phenomenon has been observed in many other countries around the world. Evidence from Australia suggests as restrictions such as social distancing for COVID19 are relaxed bronchiolitis returns, even in the summer. At the release of lockdown the return has been so dramatic in some areas of Australia the summer time numbers are above a typical winter. There is also evidence it may affect older children up to 2 years of age. It is likely the Australian experience will be mirrored in the UK. The ability to track, anticipate and respond to a surge in bronchiolitis is important. There is a need to understand: 1. the onset of RSV spread at the earliest opportunity. This is important as some children are at higher risk of hospitalisation, intensive care admission or death if they contract RSV; knowing when to passively immunise these children is a public health priority. 2. whether the population at risk is a wider age range than normal and whether disease severity is gr…

This description comes directly from the study's public registry record.

Damian Roland, BMBS PhD  ·  07950891367  ·  dr98@leicester.ac.uk

Thomas Williams  ·  Thomas.Christie.Williams@ed.ac.uk

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