Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
##common.pageHeaderLogo.altText##

Original article

Vol. 154 No. 7 (2024)

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of bronchiolitis at Hôpital du Jura in Delémont, Switzerland: a retrospective observational study

  • Clara Hayes Vidal-Quadras
  • Isshak Mrabet Deraoui
  • Vincent Muehlethaler
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57187/s.3768
Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2024;154:3768
Published
01.07.2024

Summary

BACKGROUND: Non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic caused an unusual epidemiology in bronchiolitis hospitalisations, with a peak in the summer seasons of 2020 and 2021.

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyse data from a 5-year period (2018–2022) at Hôpital du Jura in Delémont, Switzerland, regarding bronchiolitis hospitalisations before, during and towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to prepare for future changes in bronchiolitis epidemiology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anonymous retrospective data on bronchiolitis hospitalisations for children under 2 years of age with hospital admission date from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022 was obtained from the Health Records Coding Unit of our hospital.

RESULTS: A clear shift in the peak of bronchiolitis is seen in 2021 compared to the three previous years. Starting in spring 2022, the trend begins to mimic pre-pandemic years. For respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis hospitalisations specifically, an important peak in hospitalisations is seen in the summer months of 2021, with over 20 admissions, compared to zero admissions in the previous years. This peak shifts to the winter months in 2022.

CONCLUSIONS: The non-pharmacological interventions implemented during 2020 and early 2021 did not cause a long-lasting seasonal shift in bronchiolitis. In 2022, when the non-pharmacological interventions were no longer in place in the non-hospital setting, the peak of bronchiolitis hospitalisations is seen once again in the winter months. We predict that hospitalisation patterns will gradually revert to those of pre-pandemic years.

References

  1. Chadha M, Hirve S, Bancej C, Barr I, Baumeister E, Caetano B, et al.; WHO RSV Surveillance Group. Human respiratory syncytial virus and influenza seasonality patterns-Early findings from the WHO global respiratory syncytial virus surveillance. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2020 Nov;14(6):638–46. 10.1111/irv.12726 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.12726
  2. Williams TC, Sinha I, Barr IG, Zambon M. Transmission of paediatric respiratory syncytial virus and influenza in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Euro Surveill. 2021 Jul;26(29):2100186. 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.29.2100186 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.29.2100186
  3. Lenglart L, Ouldali N, Honeyford K, Bognar Z, Bressan S, Buonsenso D, et al.; EPISODES Study Group. Respective roles of non-pharmaceutical interventions in bronchiolitis outbreaks: an interrupted time-series analysis based on a multinational surveillance system. Eur Respir J. 2023 Feb;61(2):2201172. 10.1183/13993003.01172-2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.01172-2022
  4. Van Brusselen D, De Troeyer K, Ter Haar E, Vander Auwera A, Poschet K, Van Nuijs S, et al. Bronchiolitis in COVID-19 times: a nearly absent disease? Eur J Pediatr. 2021 Jun;180(6):1969–73. 10.1007/s00431-021-03968-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-021-03968-6
  5. Britton PN, Hu N, Saravanos G, Shrapnel J, Davis J, Snelling T, et al. COVID-19 public health measures and respiratory syncytial virus. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2020 Nov;4(11):e42–3. 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30307-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30307-2
  6. von Hammerstein AL, Aebi C, Barbey F, Berger C, Buettcher M, Casaulta C, et al. Interseasonal RSV infections in Switzerland - rapid establishment of a clinician-led national reporting system (RSV EpiCH). Swiss Med Wkly. 2021 Sep;151(3536):w30057. 10.4414/SMW.2021.w30057 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4414/SMW.2021.w30057
  7. Flores-Pérez P, Gerig N, Cabrera-López MI, de Unzueta-Roch JL, Del Rosal T, Calvo C; COVID-19 Study Group in Children. Acute bronchiolitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin (Engl Ed). 2022 Dec;40(10):572-5. 10.1016/j.eimc.2021.06.012 10.1016/j.eimce.2021.06.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eimce.2021.06.005
  8. Info Covid-19 Canton du Jura [Internet]. Coronavirus -Communiqués de presse du Canton. [cited Mar 03 2023]. Available from:https://www.jura.ch/fr/Autorites/Coronavirus/Infos-Actualites/Communiques-de-presse-JU.html
  9. Andina-Martinez D, Alonso-Cadenas JA, Cobos-Carrascosa E, Bodegas I, Oltra-Benavent M, Plazaola A, et al.; EPICO-AEP Working Group. SARS-CoV-2 acute bronchiolitis in hospitalized children: neither frequent nor more severe. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2022 Jan;57(1):57–65. 10.1002/ppul.25731 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.25731