Common seasonal respiratory virus infections in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic

摘要

The SARS-COV-2 pandemic has led to strict and generalized transmission prevention measures that may have changed the epidemiological landscape of common seasonal respiratory virus (CSRV). Through a prospective CSRV survey program conducted from 2016 onwards in allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) recipients with respiratory symptoms, we aimed to analyze and compare the epidemiology and characteristics of CSRV over three consecutive periods from February 1 to September 30 of 2018 (P1), 2019 (P2), and 2020 (P3). CSRV screening was performed through multiplex PCR assays during the study period. We identified 188 consecutive allo-HSCT recipients with 406 episodes screened for CSRV during the study period, of which 147 developed 300 CSRV. In P1 and P2 we diagnosed 115 (38.3) and 145 (48.3) CSRV episodes, respectively, whereas in P3 only 40 (13.3) episodes were detected (p < 0.001). During P3, we observed a reduction of 80.2 in Ev/Rh, 93.3 in RSV, 80 in hIV, 96.3 HPIV, 68.4 in hMPV, 77.7 in ADV, 100 in HBoV, and 53.6 in HCoV as compared to P1 and P2. Consequently, we also observed a decline in absolute numbers of lower respiratory tract disease (68.1), co-infections (91.7), and hospitalizations (72.6) during P3. We diagnosed SARS-COV-2 in nine allo-HSCT recipients, representing 23 of all CSRV detections in that period. In conclusion, we provide evidence of a significant drop in CSRV circulation during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic in our allo-HSCT recipients, indicating that prevention measures in the general population are highly effective in reducing CSRV prevalence and its complications in immunocompromised patients.