Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Community-acquired Neonatal Pneumonia Admissions to a Tertiary Care Hospital During Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season
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Original Research
VOLUME: 3 ISSUE: 3
P: 308 - 313
2022

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Community-acquired Neonatal Pneumonia Admissions to a Tertiary Care Hospital During Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season

Forbes J Med 2022;3(3):308-313
1. University of Health Sciences Turkey, Ankara City Hospital, Clinic of Neonatology, Ankara, Turkey
2. University of Health Sciences Turkey, Ankara City Hospital, Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey
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Received Date: 2022-09-02T07:37:53
Accepted Date: 2022-11-28T09:24:04
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Abstract

Objective: Currently there are conflicting data about the incidence of community-acquired infections of common respiratory viruses during the pandemic caused by the novel Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2.

Methods: The data of the patients, who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for suspected community-acquired neonatal pneumonia during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season in the pre-Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era (October 2019-March 2020) and post-COVID-19 pandemic era (October 2020-March 2021) were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: A total of 869 patient records were screened. Seventy patients (22%) in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era and 15 patients (6.8%) in the post- COVID-19 pandemic era met the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. In the pre- and post- COVID-19 pandemic era respectively, males accounted for 57.1% and 73.3% of patients (p=0.245), the mean gestational age at birth was 37±2 and 35±3 weeks (p=0.007), the mean birth weight was 3045±601 and 2386±840 g (p=0.001), the mean postnatal age at admission was 9±3 and 7±1 days (p=0.177), and the mean length of hospital stay was 10±3 and 8±2 days (p=0.023). RSV was detected in 42 (60%) patients in the pre- COVID-19 pandemic era compared to 2 (13.3%) patients in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era (p=0.001).

Conclusion: A 3-fold decrease in hospitalizations due to community acquired pneumonia was observed in the post COVID-19 era. Strict compliance with the rules such as mask use, hand washing, and social distancing and lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic could explain the decrease in neonatal pneumonia.

Keywords:
Neonate, respiratory syncytial virus, community-acquired pneumonia, COVID-19, pandemic