Acute respiratory infections: the impact of interactions between respiratory viruses on the disease course and outcomes

Abstract

The paper discusses the features of the acute respiratory virus infections’ (ARVIs) etiology, clinical manifestations and therapy, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature analysis has revealed typical trends in the ARVI etiology during the period of SARS-CoV-2 circulation. It has been shown that the rate of major respiratory pathogens decreased sharply during the period of high SARS-CoV-2 activity, while circulation of rhinovirus remained unchanged. This was due to the anti-epidemic measures introduced and the features of interactions between the viruses at the time of the new pandemic strain emergence. The end of the pandemic and the decrease in the SARS-CoV-2 rate during the 2022/2023 epidemic season were associated with the increase in both incidence rate and severity of ARVIs and influenza. Currently, the main reasons for this situation are discussed. These include removal of anti-epidemic restrictions, the decrease in population immunity during the isolation period, and the phenomenon of viral interference between the main pathogens causing ARVIs (rhinovirus, RSV, influenza virus). The article discusses the main directions of the ARVI therapy under current conditions.

Keywords

• ari
• influenza
• children
• respiratory syncytial virus
• flu
• rhinovirus
• antigrippin