Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pediatric infectious disease landscape

Conclusion: In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has left a profound and multifaceted impact on the landscape of pediatric infectious diseases, ranging from the emergence of “long COVID” in children to significant changes in healthcare delivery, altered circulation patterns of various pathogens, and concerning disruptions in vaccination programs and antibiotic usage.What is Known:• COVID-19 usually presents with mild symptoms in children, although severe and late manifestations are possible.• The pandemic resulted in a dramatically increased use of health care services, as well as alterations in the circulation patterns of respiratory pathogens, decreased rates of other, non-respiratory, infections, disruption of routine childhood vaccination programs, and antibiotic misuse.What is New:• Possible strategies to tackle future outbreaks are presented, including changes in health care services utilization, implementation of updated vaccine programs and antibiotic stewardship protocols.• The decline in RSV and influenza circulation during COVID-19 was probably not primarily related to NPI measures, and rather related to other, non-NPI measures implementation, including specific pathogen-host interactions on the level of the biological niche (the nasopharynx).Graphical Abstract
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research