Human Metapneumovirus Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic, Spain

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 850 - 852
• Main Authors: García-García, Maria L, Pérez-Arenas, Elena, Pérez-Hernandez, Pedro, Falces-Romero, Iker, Ruiz, Sara, Pozo, Francisco, Casas, Inmaculada, Calvo, Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.04.2023; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Causes of; Child; Communicable diseases in children; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Health aspects; Human Metapneumovirus Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic, Spain; Humans; Influenza; Metapneumovirus; Pandemics; Paramyxoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Pediatric research; Research Letter; respiratory infections; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory tract infections; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; RNA virus infections; SARS-CoV-2; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; Statistics; Viral infections; Viruses; zoonoses; Spain; Madrid Spain; Pozo F; viruses; Pérez-Arenas E; Pérez-Hernandez P; Suggested citation for this article: García-García ML; Ruiz S; zoonoses; respiratory infections; Spain; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Falces-Romero I; children; et al. Human metapneumovirus infections during COVID-19 pandemic; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spain. Emerg Infect Dis. 2023 Apr [date cited]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2904.230046; outbreak; human metapneumovirus
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2904.230046

We describe an unusual outbreak of respiratory infections caused by human metapneumovirus in children during the sixth wave of COVID-19 in Spain, associated with the Omicron variant. Patients in this outbreak were older than usual and showed more hypoxia and pneumonia, longer length of stay, and greater need for intensive care.