Dynamics of respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madrid, Spain

Patricia Brañas; Irene Muñoz-Gallego; Elena Espartosa; Noelia Moral; Guadalupe Abellán; Lola Folgueira

doi:10.1111/irv.13199

Dynamics of respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madrid, Spain

Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2023 Sep;17(9):e13199. doi: 10.1111/irv.13199.

Authors

Patricia Brañas¹, Irene Muñoz-Gallego^{1

2}, Elena Espartosa¹, Noelia Moral^{1

2}, Guadalupe Abellán¹, Lola Folgueira^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
² Biomedical Research Institute imas12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
³ Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented control measures have impacted the circulation of respiratory-transmitted pathogens. In this report, we present data from a retrospective study that included 17,883 specimens conducted between 2018 and 2022 in our facility, describing the dynamics of circulation of the main respiratory viruses. We observed a significant decrease in all viral detections (other than SARS-CoV-2) starting from March 2020. However, rhinovirus maintained comparable levels to the pre-pandemic period. Additionally, influenza viruses were not detected during the 2020-2021 season, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) exhibited a shift in its seasonality, with an epidemic peak occurring in the summer of 2021.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; influenza; respiratory syncytial virus; respiratory viruses.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Humans
Pandemics
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human*
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Spain / epidemiology