Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory pathogens such as influenza, parainfluenza, and respiratory syncytial virus were the most commonly detected viruses among hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of inpatients...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/10/1975 |
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| author | Khaled Al Oweidat Ahmad A. Toubasi Ahmad Alghrabli Yasmeen Khater Noor Saleh Asma S. Albtoosh Rawan Shafeek Batarseh |
| author_facet | Khaled Al Oweidat Ahmad A. Toubasi Ahmad Alghrabli Yasmeen Khater Noor Saleh Asma S. Albtoosh Rawan Shafeek Batarseh |
| author_sort | Khaled Al Oweidat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory pathogens such as influenza, parainfluenza, and respiratory syncytial virus were the most commonly detected viruses among hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of inpatients and outpatients who attended Jordan University Hospital and underwent Nasopharyngeal Aspiration (NPA) in the periods from December 2017 to December 2018 and from December 2021 to December 2022. The results of multiplex respiratory pathogen real-time PCR tests for nasopharyngeal swab specimens were extracted from the electronic-based molecular diagnostic laboratory record of JUH. We compared the prevalence of the detected viruses as well as the patients’ characteristics and outcomes between the two periods. Results: The total number of included patients was 695. Our analysis showed that a higher percentage of patients with hypertension and diabetes presented before the pandemic compared to the same period after it (<i>p</i>-value < 0.001). The need for O2 devices, white blood cell counts, diastolic blood pressure, and the length of hospital stay were significantly higher among patients who presented before the pandemic (<i>p</i>-value < 0.050). Influenza H1N1 (8.70% vs. 4.03%), influenza B (1.67% vs. 0.25%), parainfluenza (1.00% vs. 0.00%), human metapneumovirus (5.35% vs. 0.76%), adenoviruses (6.35% vs. 3.02%), and coronaviruses (8.70% vs. 3.53%) were detected with higher frequency in the period before the pandemic (<i>p</i>-value = 0.011, 0.045, 0.045, 0.000, 0.035, 0.004). These results were similar in terms of changes in the detection rates of viruses after matching the number of tested patients between the periods before and after the pandemic. Conclusions: We have demonstrated a reduction in the detection of several viruses, which might be due to the increase in public awareness toward infection protection measures after the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:50:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed35ea41fc2d4bf5873c72e2895ae808 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:50:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed35ea41fc2d4bf5873c72e2895ae8082023-11-19T18:26:19ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152023-09-011510197510.3390/v15101975Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 PandemicKhaled Al Oweidat0Ahmad A. Toubasi1Ahmad Alghrabli2Yasmeen Khater3Noor Saleh4Asma S. Albtoosh5Rawan Shafeek Batarseh6Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanFaculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanDepartment of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanDepartment of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanDepartment of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanDepartment of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, JordanDepartment of Microbiology, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, JordanBackground: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory pathogens such as influenza, parainfluenza, and respiratory syncytial virus were the most commonly detected viruses among hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of inpatients and outpatients who attended Jordan University Hospital and underwent Nasopharyngeal Aspiration (NPA) in the periods from December 2017 to December 2018 and from December 2021 to December 2022. The results of multiplex respiratory pathogen real-time PCR tests for nasopharyngeal swab specimens were extracted from the electronic-based molecular diagnostic laboratory record of JUH. We compared the prevalence of the detected viruses as well as the patients’ characteristics and outcomes between the two periods. Results: The total number of included patients was 695. Our analysis showed that a higher percentage of patients with hypertension and diabetes presented before the pandemic compared to the same period after it (<i>p</i>-value < 0.001). The need for O2 devices, white blood cell counts, diastolic blood pressure, and the length of hospital stay were significantly higher among patients who presented before the pandemic (<i>p</i>-value < 0.050). Influenza H1N1 (8.70% vs. 4.03%), influenza B (1.67% vs. 0.25%), parainfluenza (1.00% vs. 0.00%), human metapneumovirus (5.35% vs. 0.76%), adenoviruses (6.35% vs. 3.02%), and coronaviruses (8.70% vs. 3.53%) were detected with higher frequency in the period before the pandemic (<i>p</i>-value = 0.011, 0.045, 0.045, 0.000, 0.035, 0.004). These results were similar in terms of changes in the detection rates of viruses after matching the number of tested patients between the periods before and after the pandemic. Conclusions: We have demonstrated a reduction in the detection of several viruses, which might be due to the increase in public awareness toward infection protection measures after the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/10/1975humanCOVID-19pandemicviruses |
| spellingShingle | Khaled Al Oweidat Ahmad A. Toubasi Ahmad Alghrabli Yasmeen Khater Noor Saleh Asma S. Albtoosh Rawan Shafeek Batarseh Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic Viruses human COVID-19 pandemic viruses |
| title | Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Alterations in Patients’ Clinical Outcomes and Respiratory Viral Pathogen Activity following the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | alterations in patients clinical outcomes and respiratory viral pathogen activity following the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | human COVID-19 pandemic viruses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/10/1975 |
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