key: cord-0951427-0was62ma
authors: Kelloniemi, Sallamaria; Heikkilä, Paula; Palmu, Sauli
title: COVID‐19 restrictions probably brought the 2019–2020 Finnish influenza season to an early end and led to fewer respiratory viruses among infants
date: 2021-08-12
journal: Acta Paediatr
DOI: 10.1111/apa.16061
sha: 01e22eb1ba8ff9b5e3ef42daeaa4bd6c7a24ec92
doc_id: 951427
cord_uid: 0was62ma

Respiratory infections are the most common issues handled by children's health services.1 Influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cause acute respiratory illnesses that are very common during a child's first years of life.1,2 Mild influenza and RSV cases can be treated at home, but severe cases require hospitalisation.1,2.

Respiratory infections are the most common issues handled by children's health services. 1 Influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cause acute respiratory illnesses that are very common during a child's first years of life. 1, 2 Mild influenza and RSV cases can be treated at home, but severe cases require hospitalisation. 1, 2 This prospective, population-based epidemiological study determined the incidence of moderate or severe influenza and RSV in infants under 12 months of age who presented to Tays Tampere University Hospital, Finland, with respiratory symptoms and fever.

Tays serves as both a primary and tertiary care centre for paediatric patients under 16 years of age, and this study was conducted in the hospital's emergency department.

At the end of 2019, there were 4386 infants under 12 months of age living in the hospital's catchment area. Our study comprised those who visited the ED from 27 December 2019 to 6 May 2020, which would normally be the main season for these viruses. (Table S1 ). In 44 cases, the aetiology remained unclear. Most of the 42.0% patients who were hospitalised had an RSV infection (60.0%) and the median length of hospitalisation was also highest for this cohort (median 2.5 days), but not statistically significant. Hospitalised infants were younger (median 5.7 months, 

Influenza in children

The burden of respiratory syncytial virus infection in young children

COVID-19: transatlantic declines in pediatric emergency admissions

Burden of influenza during the first year of life

Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory tract infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in young children in 2015: a systematic review and modelling study

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5989-8615Sauli Palmu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3270-7660