Human Coronavirus in the 2014 Winter Season as a Cause of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

Abstract

PurposeDuring the late autumn to winter season (October to December) in the Republic of Korea, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common pathogen causing lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Interestingly, in 2014, human coronavirus (HCoV) caused not only upper respiratory infections but also LRTIs more commonly than in other years. Therefore, we sought to determine the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, outcomes, and severity of illnesses associated with HCoV infections at a single center in Korea.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively identified patients with positive HCoV respiratory specimens between October 2014 and December 2014 who were admitted to Severance Children’s Hospital at Yonsei University Medical Center for LRTI. Charts of the patients with HCoV infection were reviewed and compared with RSV infection.ResultsDuring the study period, HCoV was the third most common respiratory virus and accounted for 13.7% of infections. Coinfection was detected in 43.8% of children with HCoV. Interestingly, one patient had both HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-NL63. Mild pneumonia was most common (60.4%) with HCoV, and when combined with RSV, resulted in bronchiolitis. Two patients required care in the intensive care unit. However, compared with that of RSV infection, the disease course HCoV was short.ConclusionInfections caused by HCoVs are common, and can cause LRTIs. During an epidemic season, clinicians should be given special consideration thereto. When combined with other medical conditions, such as neurologic or cardiologic diseases, intensive care unit (ICU) care may be necessary.

Trends of Human Coronaviruses in Yamagata, Japan in 2015–2016 Focusing on the OC43 Outbreak of June 2016

“…HCoV-NL63 accounted for 30 cases (2.2%), Generally, in temperate climates, HCoVs display marked winter seasonality and are not detected in the summer months, which is similar to the pattern observed for influenza viruses (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). In accordance with these reports, we also mainly detected HCoVs in winter in Yamagata, Japan, which is located in a temperate region, between 2010 and 2015 (2, 3).…”

Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories: Viruses Causing Acute Respiratory Tract Infections

“…In one recent study, coinfections with bacteria and viruses were identified in 40% of viral respiratory tract infections requiring hospitalization (272). For example, in Japan, a recent study found that 43.8% of patients who were diagnosed with a CoV infection were also infected with an additional virus (273). In another study, coinfections of two or more viruses were identified in approximately 18% of infants with an acute respiratory illness; RV was the most common coinfecting virus, but other viruses, such ADV, hMPV, and PIVs, were also codetected (270).…”

Coronavirus envelope protein: current knowledge

“…They can also infect humans and cause disease to varying degrees, from upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) resembling the common cold, to lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and even severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that human CoVs (HCoVs) are implicated in both URTIs and LRTIs, validating the importance of coronaviral research as agents of severe respiratory illnesses [7,9,[15][16][17].…”