Change in the pattern of respiratory viruses identified ina pediatric population hospitalized during the years of 2019 and 2020

Abstract

Introduction: highlighted as an etiological agent in several respiratory diseases, viruses, has great importance in Pediatric Pulmonology. Objective: study the viruses identified from respiratory secretions of pediatric patients hospitalized in the pediatric ward and ICU, during the period from January 2019 to December 2020. Methodology: survey of results of the RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase reaction followed by polymerase chain reaction) of respiratory secretions of pediatric patients, through the LAM (Laboratory Analysis Management) applying the necessary filters to select the patients of the institution and the stipulated period. Results: Thirty collections were performed in 2019 and 196 in 2020 for respiratory secretions due to the Respiratory Syndrome. The samples collected in 2019 were positive for viruses in 56.7% of the investigated cases, with 6.7% for Influenza and 50% for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), while in 2020 the samples were positive in 21.4% of the cases, all of which were for SARS-Cov-2. The period of the year with the highest number of secretion collections was in May and June considering 2019 (60% of 2019 collections), and July, August and December considering 2020 (42.8% of 2020 collections), with a positivity of 77.7% (2019) and 25% (2020) for viruses requested for research. Conclusion: It was possible to notice an important change in the profile of the viruses identified in respiratory conditions between 2019 and 2020, comparable to the profile presented by the Epidemiological Bulletins of the Ministry of Health, especially in the year 2020 with the emergence of the new coronavirus and its pandemic. The viral etiology present in the vast majority of pediatric respiratory conditions should always be valued and viral identification tests are tools of great applicability in the clinic.

Keywords

• viral panel
• respiratory viruses
• pediatrics