Respiratory infections during the COVID-19 pandemic – what has changed?


DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/pharmateca.2023.1-2.167-170

S.V. Nikolaeva, E.K. Shushakova

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, Moscow, Russia
During the global pandemic of the coronavirus infection COVID-19, the epidemiology of these viruses, as shown in the literature, has changed dramatically. In many countries, during normal peak seasons, there has been a significant decrease in the incidence of both influenza and other viral respiratory infections, primarily respiratory syncytial infection. The current situation calls for a revision of the traditional understanding that children are the main driver of seasonal upsurges in respiratory infections. The article summarizes lite-rature data demonstrating the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in changing the seasonality of respiratory viral infections – a decrease in the incidence during the period of anti-epidemic measures, followed by a sharp increase in the number of cases; shift of the peak of incidence to “atypical” months for the given hemisphere. Traditionally, the symptoms of acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) are characterized by the development of fever-intoxication and catarrhal syndromes. The basis of the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections is non-specific etiotropic and symptomatic therapy recommended for specific symptoms. Since children in the vast majority of cases with ARVI develop such a worrying symptom for parents as fever, symptomatic treatment with the inclusion of paracetamol-based antipyretics is relevant.

About the Autors


Corresponding author: Svetlana V. Nikolaeva, Dr. Sci.(Med.), Leading Researcher at the Clinical Department of Infectious Pathology, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, Moscow, Russia; phone: +7 (495) 672-11-58; nikolaeva008@list.ru


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