Comparing Morbidity of Infants Hospitalised With RSV or SARS-COV-2

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Virology
• Public Health

Background:

• The clinical impact of SARS-CoV-2 versus RSV in young children is not fully understood.
• Understanding comparative disease severity is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the morbidity of SARS-CoV-2 and RSV in hospitalized children under two years of age.
• To inform policy decisions regarding pediatric respiratory virus immunizations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study.
• Inclusion of children under 24 months hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 or RSV from January 2021 to December 2022.
• Comparison of demographics, oxygen therapy, antibiotic use, and length of stay.

Main Results:

• RSV infection was associated with significantly higher rates of oxygen therapy (61% vs. 15.7%) and longer hospital stays (3 vs. 2 days) compared to SARS-CoV-2.
• Children with SARS-CoV-2 had a higher proportion of medical comorbidities (25.1% vs. 12.1%).
• Antibiotic prescriptions were more frequent in SARS-CoV-2 cases (40% vs. 30.2%).

Conclusions:

• RSV infection presents a more severe respiratory illness course in children under two years than SARS-CoV-2.
• Findings support targeted public health interventions and vaccination policies for both RSV and SARS-CoV-2 in young children.