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BMC Infectious Diseases

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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection | Research

Decreased human respiratory syncytial virus activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: an ecological time-series analysis

Authors: Keita Wagatsuma, Iain S. Koolhof, Yugo Shobugawa, Reiko Saito

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Background

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as sanitary measures and travel restrictions, aimed at controlling the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may affect the transmission dynamics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). We aimed to quantify the contribution of the sales of hand hygiene products and the number of international and domestic airline passenger arrivals on HRSV epidemic in Japan.

Methods

The monthly number of HRSV cases per sentinel site (HRSV activity) in 2020 was compared with the average of the corresponding period in the previous 6 years (from January 2014 to December 2020) using a monthly paired t-test. A generalized linear gamma regression model was used to regress the time-series of the monthly HRSV activity against NPI indicators, including sale of hand hygiene products and the number of domestic and international airline passengers, while controlling for meteorological conditions (monthly average temperature and relative humidity) and seasonal variations between years (2014–2020).

Results

The average number of monthly HRSV case notifications in 2020 decreased by approximately 85% (p < 0.001) compared to those in the preceding 6 years (2014–2019). For every average ¥1 billion (approximately £680,000/$9,000,000) spent on hand hygiene products during the current month and 1 month before there was a 0.29% (p = 0.003) decrease in HRSV infections. An increase of average 1000 domestic and international airline passenger arrivals during the previous 1–2 months was associated with a 3.8 × 10^− 4% (p < 0.001) and 1.2 × 10^− 3% (p < 0.001) increase in the monthly number of HRSV infections, respectively.

Conclusions

This study suggests that there is an association between the decrease in the monthly number of HRSV cases and improved hygiene and sanitary measures and travel restrictions for COVID-19 in Japan, indicating that these public health interventions can contribute to the suppression of HRSV activity. These findings may help in public health policy and decision making.

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Rizvi RF, Craig KJT, Hekmat R, Reyes F, South B, Rosario B, et al. Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions related to social distancing on respiratory viral infectious disease outcomes: a rapid evidence-based review and meta-analysis. SAGE Open Med. 2021;9:20503121211022973.CrossRef

Title: Decreased human respiratory syncytial virus activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: an ecological time-series analysis
Authors: Keita Wagatsuma
Iain S. Koolhof
Yugo Shobugawa
Reiko Saito
Publication date: 01-12-2021
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06461-5

Obesity Clinical Trial Summary

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.

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Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discuss last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

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Incentivised to exercise

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New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

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Image Credits

STEP AAG HeroTeaserCollection image/© Tarek / Generated with AI / Stock.adobe.com, ACC 2024 Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease: Year in Review/© 2024 American College of Cardiology, ACC 2024 Pulmonary Vascular Disease: Year in Review/© 2024 American College of Cardiology, ACC 2024 Valvular Heart Disease: Year in Review/© 2024 American College of Cardiology, ACC 2024 HF and Cardiomyopathies: Year in Review/© 2024 American College of Cardiology, Woman out walking/© Seventyfour / stock.adobe.com (symbolic image with model), Woman checking smartwatch /© saltdium / stock.adobe.com (symbolic image with model), Cardiac catheterization/© Damian / stock.adobe.com

At a glance: The STEP trials

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Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

Tocilizumab improves survival in severe COVID-19 pneumonia with persistent hypoxia: a retrospective cohort study with follow-up from Mumbai, India

The aetiology of pharyngotonsillitis in primary health care: a prospective observational study

Hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine in patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study

The concordance between preoperative aspiration and intraoperative synovial fluid culture results: intraoperative synovial fluid re-cultures are necessary whether the preoperative aspiration culture is positive or not

Inadequate use of antibiotics in the covid-19 era: effectiveness of antibiotic therapy

A rare case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a patient with severe leptospirosis complicated with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury; a case report

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