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McCann W, Murphy KR, Zeiger RS, Beuther DA, Wise RA, Reibman J, George M, Gilbert I, Eudicone JM, Gandhi HN, Cutts K, Coyne KS, Chipps B. Assessing meaningful change in the Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 133:152-158. [PMID: 38369256 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire (AIRQ) is a 10-item, yes/no, equally weighted control tool. Lower scores indicate better control. Moreover, 7 impairment items reflect previous 2-week symptoms, and 3 risk items assess previous 12-month exacerbations. The Follow-up AIRQ for use between annual assessments has a 3-month recall period for exacerbation items. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the responsiveness of the AIRQ over time and identify a minimal important difference (MID). METHODS The AIRQ longitudinal study data were analyzed from patients with asthma aged 12 years and older. Anchor-based methods assessed differences in AIRQ scores relative to Patient Global Impression of Change, the accepted MIDs for St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire and Asthma Control Test, and exacerbation occurrence over 12 months. Baseline and 12-month data reflected 12-month recall AIRQ scores; Follow-up AIRQ scores were used for 3-, 6-, and 9-month analyses. RESULTS A total of 1070 patients were included. The Patient Global Impression of Change rating of "much improved" was associated with AIRQ mean score changes from baseline to months 3, 6, 9, and 12 of -2.0, -1.9, -1.9, and -1.8, respectively. The mean AIRQ score change among patients who met the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire MID (≥4-point decrease) was -1.8 at 6 and 12 months. The AIRQ mean scores decreased from baseline by -2.2 to -2.5 points at months 3, 6, 9, and 12 for patients who met the Asthma Control Test MID (≥ 3-point increase). A 2-point higher baseline AIRQ score was associated with a 1.7 odds ratio of 12-month exacerbation occurrence (95% CI, 1.53-1.89). CONCLUSION A change score of 2 is recommended as the AIRQ MID.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin R Murphy
- Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Robert S Zeiger
- Departments of Allergy and Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, San Diego and Pasadena, California
| | - David A Beuther
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado
| | - Robert A Wise
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joan Reibman
- Department of Medicine, New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Maureen George
- Department of Nursing, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, New York
| | - Ileen Gilbert
- BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware
| | | | - Hitesh N Gandhi
- BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Katelyn Cutts
- Patient-Centered Research, Evidera, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Karin S Coyne
- Patient-Centered Research, Evidera, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Bradley Chipps
- Capital Allergy and Respiratory Disease Center, Sacramento, California
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Carr T, Tkacz J, Chung Y, Ambrose CS, Spahn J, Rane P, Wang Y, Lindsley AW, Lewing B, Burnette A. Gaps in Care Among Uncontrolled Severe Asthma Patients in the United States. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2024; 12:1775-1782.e2. [PMID: 38508336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2024.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the implementation of key guideline recommendations is critical for managing severe asthma (SA) in the treatment of uncontrolled disease. OBJECTIVE To assess specialist visits and medication escalation in US patients with SA after events indicating uncontrolled disease (EUD) and associations with health outcomes and social disparity indicators. METHODS Patients with SA appearing in administrative claims data spanning 2015 to 2020 were indexed hierarchically on asthma-related EUD, including hospitalizations, emergency department visits with systemic corticosteroid treatment, or outpatient visits with systemic corticosteroid treatment. Patients with SA without EUD served as controls. Eligibility included age 12 or greater, 12 months enrollment before and after index, no biologic use, and no other major respiratory disease during the pre-period. Escalation of care in the form of specialist visits and medication escalation, health care resource use, costs, and disease exacerbations were assessed during follow-up. RESULTS We identified 180,736 patients with SA (90,368 uncontrolled and 90,368 controls). Between 35% and 51% of patients with SA with an EUD had no specialist visit or medication escalation. Follow-up exacerbations ranged from 51% to 4% across EUD cohorts, compared with 13% in controls. Among uncontrolled patients with SA who were Black or Hispanic/Latino, 41% and 38%, respectively, had no specialist visit or medication escalation after EUD, compared with 33% of non-Hispanic White patients. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of uncontrolled patients with SA had no evidence of specialist visits or medication escalation after uncontrolled disease, and there was a clear relationship between uncontrolled disease and subsequent health care resource use and exacerbations. Findings highlight the need for improved guideline-based care delivery to patients with SA, particularly for those facing social disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Carr
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Autumn Burnette
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Howard University, Washington, DC
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Chen YL, Lin YY, Chin PW, Chen CC, Cheng CG, Cheng CA. Analyzing COVID-19 and Air Pollution Effects on Pediatric Asthma Emergency Room Visits in Taiwan. TOXICS 2024; 12:79. [PMID: 38251034 PMCID: PMC10818664 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
(1) Background: An asthma exacerbation that is not relieved with medication typically requires an emergency room visit (ERV). The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in Taiwan in January of 2020. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric ERVs in Taiwan was limited. Our aim was to survey pediatric asthma ERVs in the COVID-19 era; (2) Methods: Data were collected from the health quality database of the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Administration from 2019 to 2021. Air pollution and climatic factors in Taipei were used to evaluate these relationships. Changes in the rates of pediatric asthma ERVs were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the impact of air pollution and climate change; (3) Results: The rate of pediatric asthma ERVs declined in different areas and at different hospital levels including medical centers, regional and local hospitals. Some air pollutants (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm, particulate matter ≤ 10 µm, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide) reduced during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ozone increased the relative risk (RR) of pediatric asthma ERVs during the COVID-19 period by 1.094 (95% CI: 1.095-1.12) per 1 ppb increase; (4) Conclusions: The rate of pediatric asthma ERVs declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and ozone has harmful effects. Based on these results, the government could reduce the number of pediatric asthma ERVs through healthcare programs, thereby promoting children's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Lin Chen
- School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
| | - Yen-Yue Lin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Taoyuan 32549, Taiwan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Wei Chin
- Department of Nursing, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Hua-Lien Hospital, Hua-Lien 97061, Taiwan;
| | - Cheng-Chueh Chen
- Department of General Surgery, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Yunlin 65152, Taiwan;
| | - Chun-Gu Cheng
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Taoyuan 32549, Taiwan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Chun-An Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
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Riaz F, Umashankar K, Marchlewicz EH, Zhang K, Khandelwal N, Sanchirico M. Initiating immunoglobulin replacement therapy helps reduce severe infections and shifts healthcare resource utilization to outpatient services among US patients with inborn errors of immunity. J Med Econ 2024; 27:849-857. [PMID: 38885115 DOI: 10.1080/13696998.2024.2368987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are predisposed to severe recurrent/chronic infections, and often require hospitalization, resulting in substantial burden to patients/healthcare systems. While immunoglobulin replacement therapies (IgRTs) are the standard first-line treatment for most forms of IEI, limited real-world data exist regarding clinical characteristics and treatment costs for patients with IEI initiating such treatment. This retrospective analysis examined infection and treatment characteristics in US patients with IEI initiating IgRT with immune globulin infusion (human), 10% (IG10%). Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs before and after treatment initiation were compared. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 on infection diagnoses was evaluated. METHODS Patients with IEI initiating IG10% between July 2012 and August 2019 were selected from Merative MarketScan Databases using diagnosis/prescription codes. Patients were followed 6 months before and after first IG10% claim date. Demographic and clinical characteristics were described. Treatment characteristics and HCRU before and after IG10% initiation were compared. Infection diagnoses during 2020 and 2019 (March-December) were compared. RESULTS The study included 1,497 patients with IEI diagnoses (mean age = 43.4 years) initiating IG10%, with frequently reported comorbidities like asthma (32.1%). Following IG10% initiation, fewer severe infection diagnoses (11.6% vs 19.9%), fewer infection-related inpatient (10.8% vs 19.5%) and outpatient services (71.6% vs 79.9%), and lower infection-related total healthcare costs ($7,849 vs $13,995; p < 0.001)-driven by lower inpatient costs ($2,746 vs $9,900)-were observed than before. Fewer patients had infection diagnoses during COVID-19 (22.8%) than the prior year (31.2%). CONCLUSION Patients with IEI are susceptible to severe infections leading to high disease burden and treatment costs. Following IG10% initiation, we observed fewer infections, lower infection-related treatment costs, and shift in care (inpatient to outpatient) leading to significant cost savings. Among patients with IEI, 27% fewer infection diagnoses were observed during the early COVID-19 lockdown period than the prior year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faisal Riaz
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Lexington, MA, USA
| | - Kandavadivu Umashankar
- Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Kui Zhang
- Merative (formerly IBM Watson Health), Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Yawn BP, Make B, Mannino D, Lopez C, Murray S, Thomashow B, Brown R, Dolor RJ, Joo M, Tapp H, Zittleman L, Meldrum C, Anderson S, Martinez FJ, Han MK. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outcomes of CAPTURE: A Primary Care Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Screening Clinical Trial. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2024; 21:176-179. [PMID: 38099719 PMCID: PMC10867910 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202305-478rl] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Min Joo
- University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, Illinois
| | - Hazel Tapp
- University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, Illinois
| | - Linda Zittleman
- University of Colorado, High Plains Research NetworkAurora, Colorado
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Kendzerska T, Zhu DT, Pugliese M, Manuel D, Sadatsafavi M, Povitz M, Stukel TA, To T, Aaron SD, Mulpuru S, Chin M, Kendall CE, Thavorn K, Robillard R, Gershon AS. Trends in outpatient and inpatient visits for separate ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a province-based study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1251020. [PMID: 38169852 PMCID: PMC10759216 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1251020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to global disruptions in non-urgent health services, affecting health outcomes of individuals with ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Methods We conducted a province-based study using Ontario health administrative data (Canada) to determine trends in outpatient visits and hospitalization rates (per 100,000 people) in the general adult population for seven ACSCs during the first pandemic year (March 2020-March 2021) compared to previous years (2016-2019), and how disruption in outpatient visits related to acute care use. ACSCs considered were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, angina, congestive heart failure (CHF), hypertension, diabetes, and epilepsy. We used time series auto-regressive integrated moving-average models to compare observed versus projected rates. Results Following an initial reduction (March-May 2020) in all types of visits, primary care outpatient visits (combined in-person and virtual) returned to pre-pandemic levels for asthma, angina, hypertension, and diabetes, remained below pre-pandemic levels for COPD, and rose above pre-pandemic levels for CHF (104.8 vs. 96.4, 95% CI: 89.4-104.0) and epilepsy (29.6 vs. 24.7, 95% CI: 22.1-27.5) by the end of the first pandemic year. Specialty visits returned to pre-pandemic levels for COPD, angina, CHF, hypertension, and diabetes, but remained above pre-pandemic levels for asthma (95.4 vs. 79.5, 95% CI: 70.7-89.5) and epilepsy (53.3 vs. 45.6, 95% CI: 41.2-50.5), by the end of the year. Virtual visit rates increased for all ACSCs. Among ACSCs, reductions in hospitalizations were most pronounced for COPD and asthma. CHF-related hospitalizations also decreased, albeit to a lesser extent. For angina, hypertension, diabetes, and epilepsy, hospitalization rates reduced initially, but returned to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. Conclusion This study demonstrated variation in outpatient visit trends for different ACSCs in the first pandemic year. No outpatient visit trends resulted in increased hospitalizations for any ACSC; however, reductions in rates of asthma, COPD, and CHF hospitalizations persisted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetyana Kendzerska
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David T. Zhu
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Michael Pugliese
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas Manuel
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mohsen Sadatsafavi
- Respiratory Evaluation Sciences Program, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marcus Povitz
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Therese A. Stukel
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Teresa To
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Research Institute, The Hospital of Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shawn D. Aaron
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sunita Mulpuru
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Melanie Chin
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Claire E. Kendall
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kednapa Thavorn
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andrea S. Gershon
- ICES, Ottawa, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Research Institute, The Hospital of Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Rømer V, Fosgaard MB, Sivapalan P, Eklöf J, Saeed MI, Toennesen LL, Svorre Jordan A, Gissel T, Johansson SL, Jensen JUS. Incidence of community-acquired pneumonia hospitalisation in persons with bronchiectasis during the COVID-19 lockdown in Denmark: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open Respir Res 2023; 10:e001517. [PMID: 38016706 PMCID: PMC10685970 DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2022-001517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persons with bronchiectasis have a high risk of community-acquired pneumonia. Social distancing measures, implemented to prevent the spreading of SARS-CoV-2, could potentially reduce the incidence of other infectious diseases. RESEARCH QUESTION Was the COVID-19 lockdown period, along with accompanying social distancing measures, associated with reduced hospital admissions for community-acquired pneumonia and decreased overall mortality rates among individuals with bronchiectasis? METHODS Social distancing measures were introduced in Denmark by 12 March 2020 and were preserved until 20 May 2020 (social distancing period), after which the measures were gradually dismissed. The study included all adults (≥18 years) with bronchiectasis residing in Denmark. Confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were excluded. We retrospectively investigated the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia hospital admission, death of all causes and respiratory antibiotic treatment in the 10-week social distancing period in 2020, compared with the same dates in 2019. 9344 persons were included in the study. RESULTS In the social distancing period, the incidence rate of pneumonia-hospitalisation per 10 000 person-weeks was 9.2 compared with 13.8 in the reference period. This reduction corresponds to an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.67 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.88, p<0.01). Mortality was unchanged (IRR 0.90, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.32, p=0.58). Fewer persons received respiratory antibiotics (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.94, p<0.001). CONCLUSION The social distancing period was associated with a lower incidence of community-acquired pneumonia hospitalisations and respiratory antibiotic treatments in persons with bronchiectasis while all-cause mortality remained unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valdemar Rømer
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Martina Bjørka Fosgaard
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Pradeesh Sivapalan
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Josefin Eklöf
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Mohamad Isam Saeed
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Louise Lindhardt Toennesen
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Alexander Svorre Jordan
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Tina Gissel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Viborg Regional Hospital, Viborg, Denmark
| | | | - Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen
- Department of Medicine, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
- PERSIMUNE & CHIP: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
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Kreger JE, Hershenson MB. Effects of COVID-19 and Social Distancing on Rhinovirus Infections and Asthma Exacerbations. Viruses 2022; 14:2340. [PMID: 36366439 PMCID: PMC9698629 DOI: 10.3390/v14112340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Since their discovery in the 1950s, rhinoviruses (RVs) have been recognized as a major causative agent of the "common cold" and cold-like illnesses, accounting for more than 50% of upper respiratory tract infections. However, more than that, respiratory viral infections are responsible for approximately 50% of asthma exacerbations in adults and 80% in children. In addition to causing exacerbations of asthma, COPD and other chronic lung diseases, RVs have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of lower respiratory tract infections including bronchiolitis and community acquired pneumonia. Finally, early life respiratory viral infections with RV have been associated with asthma development in children. Due to the vast genetic diversity of RVs (approximately 160 known serotypes), recurrent infection is common. RV infections are generally acquired in the community with transmission occurring via inhalation of aerosols, respiratory droplets or fomites. Following the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), exposure to RV and other respiratory viruses was significantly reduced due to social-distancing, restrictions on social gatherings, and increased hygiene protocols. In the present review, we summarize the impact of COVID-19 preventative measures on the incidence of RV infection and its sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc B. Hershenson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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