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High burden of RSV hospitalizations in Germany 2021-2022
Tobias Tenenbaum1, Maren Doenhardt2, Natalie Diffloth2
1Clinic for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Sana Klinikum Lichtenberg, Academic Teaching Hospital, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Fanningerstr. 32, 10365, Berlin, Germany. tobias.tenenbaum@sana-kl.de.
Insights
Public health measures impacted respiratory virus transmission. The 2021-2022 RSV season in Germany saw an exceptionally high burden of pediatric cases, particularly in young children, highlighting the need for robust monitoring systems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Epidemiology of respiratory viruses
- Public health surveillance
Background:
- COVID-19 public health measures altered the transmission patterns of endemic respiratory viruses, including Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
- This disruption created an unusual epidemiological landscape for seasonal and other viral respiratory pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To monitor and analyze the burden of pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) hospitalizations in Germany during the 2021-2022 season.
- To evaluate the utility of a newly established national Clinician-Led Reporting System (CLRS) for pediatric RSV surveillance.
Main Methods:
- A national Clinician-Led Reporting System (CLRS) was established to monitor hospitalized pediatric RSV cases from October 18, 2021, to March 31, 2022.
- Data collected included patient age, type of respiratory support, and daily case counts. A subanalysis focused on the first four months (October-January).
Main Results:
- In October 2021, 471 pediatric RSV hospitalizations were reported daily by 67 hospitals; by January 2022, this decreased significantly.
- During the October-January period, an average of 3.6 patients per hospital per day were on general wards and 0.4 on intensive care units, with 11.5% requiring respiratory support.
- The majority of hospitalized pediatric RSV patients were under two years of age.
Conclusions:
- The 2021-2022 RSV season in Germany experienced an extraordinarily high burden of out-of-season cases.
- The newly established CLRS demonstrates potential for evaluating pediatric care needs and optimizing resource allocation for respiratory illnesses.
Background:
Public health measures implemented to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the worldwide transmission of endemic respiratory viruses such as RSV, as well as other typical, seasonal, and viral respiratory pathogens.
Methods:
From October 18, 2021 to March 31, 2022, RSV cases admitted to German pediatric hospitals were monitored via a newly established, national, Clinician-Led Reporting System (CLRS) that recorded patient age and type of respiratory support. A subanalysis of the first 4 months of the monitoring period was additionally performed.
Results:
In October 2021, a total of 471 hospitalized pediatric RSV cases per day were documented by 67 reporting hospitals. By January 2022, this number dropped to three cases at 11 hospitals (median of reporting hospitals: 37 (11%)). During these months, the median of hospitalized children on general wards and intensive care units was 133 and 15, respectively. In the subanalysis conducted to examine the period October to January, an average of 3.6 ± 2.2 patients per hospital per day were hospitalized on general wards (median 4 cases; range 0.3-8 cases), whereas 0.4 ± 2.2 patients were on intensive care units (median 0.3 cases; range 0-0.9 cases), with 11.5% receiving respiratory support. The majority of patients were under 2 years old.
Conclusion:
The overall burden of out-of-season RSV cases was extraordinarily high in Germany in 2021-2022. The newly established CLRS may help evaluate and, therefore, better allocate local and national pediatric care resources.
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