COVID-19 and Infant Hospitalizations for Seasonal Respiratory Virus Infections, New Zealand, 2020

Abstract

In March 2020, a national elimination strategy for coronavirus disease was introduced in New Zealand. Since then, hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract infection among infants <2 years of age and cases of respiratory syncytial or influenza virus infection have dramatically decreased. These findings indicate additional benefits of coronavirus disease control strategies.

Keywords

• 2019 novel coronavirus disease
• coronavirus disease
• COVID-19
• severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• SARS-CoV-2
• viruses