Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia
Abstract Objective: To determine if non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) impacted on respiratory virus detections in Queensland, Australia, during the COVID‐19 pandemic year of 2020. Methods: We analysed weekly counts of influenza, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13168 |
| _version_ | 1827847788403097600 |
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| author | Asmaa El‐Heneidy Robert S. Ware Jennifer M. Robson Sarah G. Cherian Stephen B. Lambert Keith Grimwood |
| author_facet | Asmaa El‐Heneidy Robert S. Ware Jennifer M. Robson Sarah G. Cherian Stephen B. Lambert Keith Grimwood |
| author_sort | Asmaa El‐Heneidy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: To determine if non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) impacted on respiratory virus detections in Queensland, Australia, during the COVID‐19 pandemic year of 2020. Methods: We analysed weekly counts of influenza, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, and adenovirus available from a Queensland laboratory network for the year 2020. These were compared with averaged counts from 2015 to 2019. Results: Overall, 686,199 tests were performed. The timing of NPI implementation was associated with a sharp and sustained decline in influenza, where during the typical annual influenza season (weeks 23–40) no cases were detected from 163,296 tests compared with an average of 26.1% (11,844/45,396) of tests positive in 2015–2019. Similar results were observed for human metapneumovirus and parainfluenza. Respiratory syncytial virus detections also declined but increased in weeks 48–52 (5.6%; 562/10,078) to exceed the 2015–2019 average (2.9%; 150/5,018). Rhinovirus detections increased after schools reopened, peaking in weeks 23–27 (57.4%; 36,228/63,115), exceeding the 2017–2019 detections during that period (21.9%; 8,365/38,072). Conclusions: NPIs implemented to control COVID‐19 were associated with altered frequency and proportions of respiratory virus detections. Implications for public health: NPIs derived from influenza pandemic plans were associated with profound decreases in influenza detections during 2020. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:35:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-af7646d9dbc4401e832c875eb61fdd5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:35:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-af7646d9dbc4401e832c875eb61fdd5c2023-09-02T13:42:27ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052022-02-01461101510.1111/1753-6405.13168Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, AustraliaAsmaa El‐Heneidy0Robert S. Ware1Jennifer M. Robson2Sarah G. Cherian3Stephen B. Lambert4Keith Grimwood5School of Medicine and Dentistry and Menzies Health Institute Queensland Griffith University Gold Coast Campus QueenslandSchool of Medicine and Dentistry and Menzies Health Institute Queensland Griffith University Gold Coast Campus QueenslandDepartment of Microbiology Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology QueenslandDepartment of Microbiology Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology QueenslandChild Health Research Centre The University of QueenslandSchool of Medicine and Dentistry and Menzies Health Institute Queensland Griffith University Gold Coast Campus QueenslandAbstract Objective: To determine if non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) impacted on respiratory virus detections in Queensland, Australia, during the COVID‐19 pandemic year of 2020. Methods: We analysed weekly counts of influenza, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, and adenovirus available from a Queensland laboratory network for the year 2020. These were compared with averaged counts from 2015 to 2019. Results: Overall, 686,199 tests were performed. The timing of NPI implementation was associated with a sharp and sustained decline in influenza, where during the typical annual influenza season (weeks 23–40) no cases were detected from 163,296 tests compared with an average of 26.1% (11,844/45,396) of tests positive in 2015–2019. Similar results were observed for human metapneumovirus and parainfluenza. Respiratory syncytial virus detections also declined but increased in weeks 48–52 (5.6%; 562/10,078) to exceed the 2015–2019 average (2.9%; 150/5,018). Rhinovirus detections increased after schools reopened, peaking in weeks 23–27 (57.4%; 36,228/63,115), exceeding the 2017–2019 detections during that period (21.9%; 8,365/38,072). Conclusions: NPIs implemented to control COVID‐19 were associated with altered frequency and proportions of respiratory virus detections. Implications for public health: NPIs derived from influenza pandemic plans were associated with profound decreases in influenza detections during 2020.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13168COVID‐19respiratory virusesinfluenzanon‐pharmaceutical interventionsSARS‐CoV‐2 |
| spellingShingle | Asmaa El‐Heneidy Robert S. Ware Jennifer M. Robson Sarah G. Cherian Stephen B. Lambert Keith Grimwood Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health COVID‐19 respiratory viruses influenza non‐pharmaceutical interventions SARS‐CoV‐2 |
| title | Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia |
| title_full | Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia |
| title_fullStr | Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia |
| title_short | Respiratory virus detection during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia |
| title_sort | respiratory virus detection during the covid 19 pandemic in queensland australia |
| topic | COVID‐19 respiratory viruses influenza non‐pharmaceutical interventions SARS‐CoV‐2 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13168 |
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