Eurosurv. Influenza versus other respiratory viruses – assessing severity among hospitalised children, Belgium, 2011 to 2020

[tetano]

• Natalie Fischer^1,2 , Sarah Moreels³ , Nicolas Dauby^4,5 , Marijke Reynders⁶ , Evelyn Petit⁶ , Michèle Gérard⁴ , Patrick Lacor⁷ , Siel Daelemans⁸ , Bénédicte Lissoir⁹ , Xavier Holemans¹⁰ , Koen Magerman^11,12 , Door Jouck¹² , Marc Bourgeois¹³ , Bénédicte Delaere¹³ , Sophie Quoilin¹⁴ , Steven Van Gucht¹ , Isabelle Thomas¹ , Nathalie Bossuyt¹⁴ , Cyril Barbezange¹

Key public health message


What did you want to address in this study?

We wanted to investigate the severity of disease in children hospitalised with severe acute respiratory infections in Belgium. More specifically, we wanted to compare the risk of developing a complication - for example pneumonia or transfer to intensive care - in children with influenza vs other common respiratory viruses, taking into account the child’s age and underlying risk factors, such as asthma, chronic lung or heart disease, obesity or diabetes.

What have we learnt from this study?

We found that children infected with a common respiratory virus other than influenza were more at risk of developing a complication than those with influenza. Children with asthma or chronic lung disease had twice the risk of complications, independently of their age or the respiratory virus responsible for their hospitalisation.

What are the implications of your findings for public health?

Our study advocates for comprehensive year-round surveillance based on sentinel systems and multi-virus testing. When several viruses circulate simultaneously, this is particularly pertinent for assessing virus-specific disease incidence and severity as well as vaccine effectiveness, especially in children. Children with asthma and chronic respiratory disease should be prioritised for prevention programmes and clinical care during hospitalisation.

https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.29.2300056