Respiratory Viral Infections Among Children Hospitalized in a Great Referral Hospital in Iran During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Background: Types of viral strains play an important role in developing respiratory infections in children, but what strains are prominent in each community and how they are distributed in both sexes and different ages is not yet fully understood in many countries, such as Iran. Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of viral infections caused by different types of respiratory viruses in children with viral respiratory symptoms admitted to a referral children's hospital in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 87 nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from 90 children hospitalized in our children's hospital with respiratory symptoms. Multiplex real-time PCR techniques detected 17 different viruses. Results: The most common respiratory symptom was cough revealed in 82.8%, followed by respiratory distress in 13.8% and tachypnea in 6.9%. Respiratory viruses were detected in 28.7% of patients, and co-infections were observed in one case. The most frequent viral strain detected was the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in 16.1%, followed by the Influenza A virus in 5.7%. The frequency of other viruses is Metapneumovirus 3.4%, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) 2.3%, Bocavirus (1.1%), HCOV NL63 1.1%, and Parainfluenza 3.4%. The distribution of viral strains was independent of children's gender and age. Conclusions: Viruses were detected in 31% of children with respiratory symptoms, so other causative respiratory infections, except COVID-19, should be considered in children with respiratory symptoms even during the COVID-19 pandemic.