Reconstructing the impact of COVID-19 on the immunity gap and transmission of respiratory syncytial virus in Lombardy, Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of hospitalisation and mortality in young children globally. The social distancing measures implemented against COVID-19 in Lombardy (Italy) disrupted the typically seasonal RSV circulation during 2019-2021 and caused substantially more hospitalisations during 2021-2022. The primary aim of this study is to quantify the immunity gap-defined as the increased proportion of the population naïve to RSV infection following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in Lombardy, which has been hypothesised to be a potential cause of the increased RSV burden in 2021-2022.

Methods

We developed a catalytic model to reconstruct changes in the age-dependent susceptibility profile of the Lombardy population throughout the COVID

SUBMITTER: Ang HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10432612 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature