Human respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, circulating in the winter season 2019–2020 in Parma, Northern Italy

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases Vol. 102; pp. 79 - 84
• Main Authors: Calderaro, Adriana, De Conto, Flora, Buttrini, Mirko, Piccolo, Giovanna, Montecchini, Sara, Maccari, Clara, Martinelli, Monica, Di Maio, Alan, Ferraglia, Francesca, Pinardi, Federica, Montagna, Paolo, Arcangeletti, Maria Cristina, Chezzi, Carlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2021; The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Child; Coinfection - epidemiology; Coinfection - virology; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Culture; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Molecular assays; Pandemic; Respiratory System; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Respiratory viruses; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Seasons; Tertiary Care Centers; Viruses - classification; Viruses - isolation & purification; Italy; SARS-CoV-2; Respiratory viruses; Pandemic; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Culture; Molecular assays
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.1473

[Display omitted] •In this study, the viral aetiology was explored in patients with respiratory infections.•In this study, adult males were the most infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).•In this study, children were the most infected by non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of respiratory virus infections, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), during the winter period December 2019 to March 2020, via a tertiary care hospital-based survey in Parma, Northern Italy. A total of 906 biological samples from the respiratory tract were analysed by both conventional assays (including culture) and molecular assays targeting nucleic acids of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. Overall, 474 samples (52.3%) were positive for at least one virus, with a total of 583 viruses detected. Single infections were detected in 380 (80.2%) samples and mixed infections were detected in 94 (19.8%). Respiratory syncytial virus (138/583, 23.7%) and rhinovirus (130/583, 22.3%) were the most commonly identified viruses, followed by SARS-CoV-2 (82/583, 14.1%). Respiratory syncytial virus predominated until February, with 129 detections; it then decreased drastically in March to only nine detections. SARS-CoV-2 was absent in the study area until February 26, 2020 and then reached 82 detections in just over a month. SARS-CoV-2 was found in mixed infections in only three cases, all observed in children younger than 1 year old. This study showed a completely different trend between SARS-CoV-2 and the ‘common’ respiratory viruses: the common viruses mostly affected children, without any distinction according to sex, while SARS-CoV-2 mostly affected adult males.