Viral Infections among Hospitalised Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak in a Tertiary Hospital in Turkey: Relationship with Non-pharmaceutical Interventions.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccines were available, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as masks and hand hygiene were crucial in controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, various respiratory viruses continued to infect paediatric patients. This study aimed to detect viral pathogens using respiratory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel among hospitalised paediatric patients during the pandemic, compare these findings with pre-pandemic data and assess the impact of NPIs.

Subject and methods: From October 2022 to December 2022, 138 out of 345 hospitalised paediatric patients with respiratory infections were included in this retrospective cohort study. The patients were divided into three age groups: <1 year, 1-5 years and 5-18 years 0-12, 12-60 and 60-216 months, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the hospitalisation duration, pathogens and laboratory values across these groups.

Results: PCR tests were positive in 89 patients (64.5%) and negative in 49 patients (35.5%). Human bocavirus (HBoV) was the only pathogen showing significant age-related differences, with higher detection in the 13-60 month age group. Patients with HBoV and RSV had notably longer hospital stays.

Conclusion: The study found that HBoV, a small, non-enveloped virus, was more easily transmitted than enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2, as it can bypass FFP2 masks. Therefore, NPIs should be designed to target both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses to effectively manage epidemics and pandemics.