Introduction and purpose

Acute viral infections of the respiratory tract account for about 80% of all respiratory infections.The viruses responsible are very numerous and characterized by a very variable epidemiology.

The objective of our study is to describe the main viral etiologies,excluding SARS-CoV-2,responsible for respiratory infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And estimate the impact of social distancing measures on respiratory virus circulation during this pandemic.

Materials and methods

This is a prospective study spread over a period of 30 months from June 2020 to December 2022,carried out at the level of the virology unit of the microbiology service of the Central Hospital of the Army of Algiers(Algeria),on a sample of 1005 patients with signs of high or low respiratory infection who were diagnosed syndromically by multiplex PCR from naso-pharyngeal sample using the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory Panel(QIAGEN).

Results

386 samples were positive for viral etiology,225 of which were positive for a respiratory virus other than SARS-CoV-2,or 22,38% of patients.These are 129 men and 96 women whose average age was 41,31 years (2-87 years).We observed 218 infections.

Viral agents outside SARS-CoV-2 found in our study were predominant by Rhinovirus/Enterovirus at 59.84%,followed by endemic Coronavirus (HCoV 229E,HCoV HKU1,HCoV NL63,HCoV OC43) at 14.50%,followed by Influenza A 8.54% and syncycial A/B Respiratory Virus 5.18%,Human Metapneumovirus A/B 4.12%,Parainfluenza Virus 3.70%,Bocavirus 3.09%,and finally Adenovirus 1.03%.

Conclusion

Analysis of our results shows a change in the incidence and epidemiology of most respiratory viruse,which would likely result from the prevention and social distancing measures.