The disappearance of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza viruses in children during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic-are non-pharmaceutical interventions as effective as vaccines?

OBJECTIVE: Respiratory viral diseases are common in children. A viral di-agnostic test is necessary, because COVID-19 shows signs and symptoms similar to those of common respiratory viruses. The article aims at analyzing the presence of respiratory viruses that were common before the pandemic in chil-dren who were tested for suspected COVID-19, and is also concerned with how common respi-rator y viruses were impacted by COVID-19 mea-sures during the second year of pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs were examined to detect the presence of respiratory viruses. The respiratory panel kit in-cluded SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B, rhinovi-rus/enterovirus, parainfluenza 1, 2, 3 and 4, coro-naviruses NL 63, 229E, OC43, and HKU1, human metapneumovirus A/B, human bocavirus, respi-ratory syncytial virus (RSV) A/B, human pare-chovirus, and adenovirus. Virus scans were com-pared during and after the restricted period. RESULTS: No virus was isolated from the 86 patients. SARS-CoV-2 was the most frequent-ly observed virus, as expected, and rhinovirus was the second, and coronavirus OC43 was the third. Influenza viruses and RSV were not de-tected in the scans. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza and RSV viruses disappeared during the pandemic period and rhinovirus was the second most common vi-rus after the CoVs during and after the restric-tion period. Non-pharmaceutical interventions should be established as a precaution to prevent infectious diseases even after the pandemic.