Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1
Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2
School of medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4
Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, school of medicine, Tehran, Iran
6
Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute of children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7
School of Dentistry, Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.22092/ari.2025.368120.3482
Abstract
Respiratory viral infections can exhibit variability in their treatment approaches and outcomes. Therefore, accurate, timely and cost-effective detection of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A/B concurrently as a two important cause of the respiratory infections is crucial. This study aimed to identify the COVID-19 and influenza A/B and also, co-occurrence of them in hospitalized pediatric patients presenting with respiratory viral infections symptoms.
In this research, specimens were obtained from the nasopharyngeal of hospitalized patients in Mofid Children hospital, Tehran, Iran showing symptoms of viral respiratory infections. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A/B viruses was achieved using multiplex Real-Time PCR after total RNA extraction of samples. Data regarding symptoms and other pertinent information about the patients were collected via a questionnaire.
During this research, a total of 2,353 patients who were hospitalized children participated. Their ages ranged from under one year old to 18 years old, with females accounting for 43% and males accounting for 57%. The most commonly reported symptom among these patients was fever. The results of the multiplex Real-Time PCR were positive in 8% of cases including; 55% COVID-19, 8.5% influenza A, 26% influenza B, and 10.5% co-infections.
The results of this study showed that the frequency of seasonal influenza has decreased compared to previous years, which could be due to the improvement of personal protection due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the presence of co-infection in this study is important and this co-infection should be considered in treatment and diagnostic systems in respiratory infection by physicians.
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