@article{Williams_T-2023_163729,
title = {Clinical Impact of Serious Respiratory Disease in Children Under the Age of 2 Years During the 2021–2022 Bronchiolitis Season in England, Scotland, and Ireland},
author = {Williams, T. and Marlow, R. and Hardelid, P. and Lyttle, M. and Lewis, K. and Mpamhanga, C. and Cunningham, S. and Roland, D. and Fraser, K. and Baker, J. and Bailie, H. and Tolhurst-Cleaver, M. and Stellman, R. and Hartshorn, S. and Watson, J. and Begley, R. and Hingley, S. and Dutta, M. and Ramsden, G. and Ryan, E. and Durnin, S. and Koe, S. and Halasz, G. and Brearey, S. and Ranasinghe, D. and Gopi, M. and Spalding, C. and Gomes, S. and Woods, G. and Aldridge, P. and Owens, V. and Balehithlu, H. and Richardson, S. and Hartin, D. and Mitchell, R. and Downes, A. and Roland, D. and Sequeira, S. and Tillett, J. and Dowson, S. and Tomlinson, J. and Da costa, A. and Sime, A. and Kirby, C. and Lawton, A. and Wear, R. and Gough, C. and Gardner, S. and Haslam, Z. and Rimmer, C. and Steensma, J. and Rao, S. and Deall, H. and Hall, S. and Middleton, C. and Walton, E. and Mackenzie, F. and Thakker, M. and Robinson, G. and Johnson, G. and Wong, S. and Diaba, C. and Foster, S. and Browning, J. and Rooney, L. and Challen, K. and Rosser, M. and Patel, P. and Spicer, A. and Bagshaw, L. and Gray, S. and Gibbs, S. and Mullen, N. and Fairley, L. and Bayreuther, J. and James, D. and Jarman, H. and O'leary, C. and Clerihew, L. and Astin-Chamberlain, R. and Trippick, S. and Armstrong, L. and Mulligan, J. and Keers, S. and Cahill, B. and Mohammad, M. and Burridge, R. and Wilson, S. and Anpananthar, A. and Jamall, E. and Lacy, D.},
month = {dec},
year = {2023},
abstract = {Background Interventions introduced to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 led to a widespread reduction in childhood infections. However, from spring 2021 onwards the United Kingdom and Ireland experienced an unusual out-of-season epidemic of respiratory disease. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study (BronchStart), enrolling children 0-23 months of age presenting with bronchiolitis, lower respiratory tract infection or first episode of wheeze to 59 Emergency Departments across England, Scotland and Ireland from May 2021 to April 2022. We combined testing data with national admissions datasets to infer the impact of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. Results The BronchStart study collected data on 17,899 presentations for 17,164 children. Risk factors for admission and escalation of care included prematurity and congenital heart disease, but most admissions were for previously healthy term-born children. Of those aged 0-11 months who were admitted and tested for RSV, 1,907/3,912 (48.7%) tested positive. We estimate that every year in England and Scotland 28,561 (95% confidence interval 27,637-29,486) infants are admitted with RSV infection. Conclusions RSV infection was the main cause of hospitalisations in this cohort, but 51.3% of admissions in infants were not associated with the virus. The majority of admissions were in previously healthy term-born infants.},
journal = {Journal of Infectious Diseases},
publisher = {Oxford University Press},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiad551},
}
