Respiratory virus circulation during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Household Influenza Vaccine Evaluation (HIVE) cohort

Abstract

Background The annual reappearance of respiratory viruses has been recognized for decades. COVID‐19 mitigation measures taken during the pandemic were targeted at respiratory transmission and broadly impacted the burden of acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs). Methods We used the longitudinal Household Influenza Vaccine Evaluation (HIVE) cohort in southeast Michigan to characterize the circulation of respiratory viruses from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, using RT‐PCR of respiratory specimens collected at illness onset. Participants were surveyed twice during the study period, and SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies were measured in serum by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Incidence rates of ARI reports and virus detections were compared between the study period and a preceding pre‐pandemic period of similar duration. Results Overall, 437 participants reported a total of 772 ARIs; 42.6% had respiratory viruses detected. Rhinoviruses were the most frequent virus, but seasonal coronaviruses, excluding SARS‐CoV‐2, were also common. Illness reports and percent positivity were lowest from May to August 2020, when mitigation measures were most stringent. Seropositivity for SARS‐CoV‐2 was 5.3% in summer 2020 and increased to 11.3% in spring 2021. The incidence rate of total reported ARIs for the study period was 50% lower (95% CI: 0.5, 0.6; p < 0.001) than the incidence rate from a pre‐pandemic comparison period (March 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017). Conclusions The burden of ARI in the HIVE cohort during the COVID‐19 pandemic fluctuated, with declines occurring concurrently with the widespread use of public health measures. Rhinovirus and seasonal coronaviruses continued to circulate even when influenza and SARS‐CoV‐2 circulation was low.

Epidemiology of Respiratory Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Finally, as already reported for RSV, it has been suggested that the susceptibility of the host to a given virus may condition circulation of the virus itself and contribute to the modification of the circulation of one or more other respiratory agents. For example, it has been supposed that the large use of the influenza vaccine during the influenza season 2020–2021 may have favored not only the incidence of influenza cases but may have also played a role in the circulation of those viruses that can benefit from the disappearance of influenza viruses [ 79 ]. However, reasons for variations in the circulation of respiratory virus subtypes such as those evidenced for RSV and influenza viruses are difficult to explain.…”

Effectiveness of Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children and Adolescents Aged 5 to 17 Years

“…From September 4, 2022, to January 31, 2023, we conducted an analysis across 6 sites in the US to estimate COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness among children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years by combining data from 3 prospective cohort studies (Pediatric Research Observing Trends and Exposures in COVID-19 Timelines [PROTECT], CASCADIA, and Community Vaccine Effectiveness [CoVE], which is an expansion of the Household Influenza Vaccine Evaluation [HIVE] cohort). [23][24][25] Children and adolescents living in Arizona, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington, including individuals from the same household, were eligible for inclusion.…”