Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2024 Jul;18(7):e13346.
doi: 10.1111/irv.13346.

Comparison of the Burden and Temporal Pattern of Hospitalisations Associated With Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Before and After COVID-19 in New Zealand

Nikki Turner  1   2 , Nayyereh Aminisani  2 , Sue Huang  2 , Jane O'Donnell  3 , Adrian Trenholme  4   5 , David Broderick  1 , Janine Paynter  1 , Lorraine Castelino  1 , Cameron Grant  5   6 , Peter McIntyre  7
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of the Burden and Temporal Pattern of Hospitalisations Associated With Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Before and After COVID-19 in New Zealand

Nikki Turner et al. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Changes in the epidemiology of illnesses caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection following the COVID-19 pandemic are reported. The New Zealand (NZ) COVID-19 situation was unique; RSV community transmission was eliminated with the 2020 border closure, with a rapid and large increase in hospitalizations following the relaxation of social isolation measures and the opening of an exclusive border with Australia.

Methods: This active population-based surveillance compared the age-specific incidence and seasonality of RSV-associated hospitalizations in Auckland, NZ, for 2 years before and after the 2020 border closures. Hospitalisation rates between years were compared by age, ethnicity (European/other, Māori, Pacific and Asian) and socioeconomic group (1 = least, 5 = most deprived).

Results: There was no RSV transmission in 2020. In all other years, hospitalisation rates were highest for people of Pacific versus other ethnic groups and for people living in the most deprived quintile of households. RSV hospitalisation rates were higher in 2021 and 2022 than in 2018-19. The epidemic peak was higher in 2021, but not 2022, and the duration was shorter than in 2018-19. In 2021, the increase in RSV hospitalisation rates was significant across all age, sex, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. In 2022, the increase in hospitalisation rates was only significant in one age (1- < 3 years), one ethnic (Asian) and one socioeconomic group (quintile 2).

Conclusions: COVID pandemic responses altered RSV-related hospitalisation seasonal patterns. Atypical features of RSV hospitalisation epidemiology were the increase in rates in older children and young adults, which lessened in 2022. Despite these variations, RSV hospitalisations in NZ continue to disproportionately affect individuals of Pacific ethnicity and those living in more socioeconomically deprived households. Whilst future public health strategies focused on RSV disease mitigation need to consider the potential shifts in epidemiological patterns when the transmission is disrupted, these variances must be considered in the context of longer-standing patterns of unequal disease distribution.

Keywords: SARI; epidemic; outbreak; respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Weekly counts of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)‐associated SARI cases from 2018 to 2022.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Adjusted incidence rate ratios of respiratory syncytial virus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Li Y., Wang X., Blau D. M., et al., “Global, Regional, and National Disease Burden Estimates of Acute Lower Respiratory Infections Due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children Younger Than 5 Years in 2019: A Systematic Analysis,” Lancet (London, England). 399, no. 10340 (2022): 2047–2064. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nguyen‐van‐Tam J. S., O'Leary M., Martin E. T., et al., “Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Older and High‐Risk Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of the Evidence from Developed Countries,” European Respiratory Review : An Official Journal of the European Respiratory Society 31, no. 166 (2022): 220105. - PMC - PubMed
    1. O'Neill G. K., Taylor J., Kok J., et al., “Circulation of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses During the COVID‐19 Pandemic in Australia and New Zealand, 2020‐2021,” Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal: WPSAR. 14, no. 3 (2023): 1–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chuang Y. C., Lin K. P., Wang L. A., Yeh T. K., and Liu P. Y., “The Impact of the COVID‐19 Pandemic on Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: A Narrative Review,” Infection and Drug Resistance 16 (2023): 661–675. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anglemyer A., Rutherford G., Walls T., and Maldonado Y., “Unusual Interseasonal RSV Activity in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres,” The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 225, no. 9 (2022): 1680–1682. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms