Respiratory virus surveillance in hospitalized children less than two-years of age in Kenema, Sierra Leone during the COVID-19 pandemic (October 2020- October 2021).

ABSTRACT: Globally, viral pathogens are the leading cause of acute respiratory infection in children under-five years. We aim to describe the epidemiology of viral respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children under-two years of age in Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, during the second year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We conducted a prospective study of children hospitalized with respiratory symptoms between October 2020 and October 2021. We collected demographic and clinical characteristics and calculated each participant´s respiratory symptom severity. Nose and throat swabs were collected at enrollment. Total nucleic acid was purified and tested for multiple respiratory viruses. Statistical analysis was performed using R version 4.2.0 software. 502 children less than two-years of age were enroll

SUBMITTER: Samuels RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10564235 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature