Title The Seasonality of Respiratory Viruses in a Hong Kong Hospital, 2014-2023.
Author Chan, Wai-Sing; Yau, Siu-Kei; To, Man-Yan; Leung, Sau-Man; Wong, Kan-Pui; Lai, Ka-Chun; Wong, Ching-Yan; Leung, Chin-Pang; Au, Chun-Hang; Wan, Thomas Shek-Kong; Ma, Edmond Shiu-Kwan; Tang, Bone Siu-Fai
Journal Viruses Publication Year/Month 2023-Aug
PMID 37766227 PMCID PMC10536933
Affiliation 1.Department of Pathology, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.

We reviewed the multiplex PCR results of 20,127 respiratory specimens tested in a hospital setting from January 2014 to April 2023. The seasonal oscillation patterns of 17 respiratory viruses were studied. Compared with 2014-2019, a prominent drop in PCR positivity (from 64.46-69.21% to 17.29-29.89%, p < 0.001) and virus diversity was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with predominance of rhinovirus/enterovirus, sporadic spikes of parainfluenza viruses 3 and 4, respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2, and rare detection of influenza viruses, metapneumovirus, adenovirus and coronaviruses. The suppressed viruses appeared to regain activity from the fourth quarter of 2022 when pandemic interventions had been gradually relaxed in Hong Kong. With the co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal respiratory viruses, surveillance of their activity and an in-depth understanding of the clinical outcomes will provide valuable insights for improved public health measures and reducing disease burden.

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    National Institute of Pathogen Biology, CAMS & PUMC, Bejing, China
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