In numerous Northern Hemisphere countries, the winter season of 2022-2023 has posed exceptional challenges for health care providers and pediatricians, primarily as a result of an unprecedented rise in respiratory tract infections. Globally, a plethora of studies has indicated that the implementation and subsequent relaxation of nonpharmacological interventions to curb the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 have profoundly altered the epidemiological landscape of pediatric infectious diseases.Frequently, a resurgence follows a decline in cases. Nevertheless, the enduring consequences of these transformations remain shrouded in uncertainty and defy accurate prognostication. It is prudent, however, to monitor trends in developed Southern Hemisphere countries, renowned for their robust epidemiological surveillance systems, as a harbinger of what patterns might lie ahead. The recent atypical upsurge in respiratory infections in Western nations can likely be ascribed to distinctive immunological vulnerabilities. Furthermore, during the 2022-2023 period, Europe experienced an earlier and more substantial peak in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases, resulting in a heightened incidence of hospitalized children. Regrettably, this surge coincided with a rise in bacterial infections, including group A Streptococcus and pneumococcus, in many nations. This concerning situation has been compounded by a scarcity of antibiotics. With the onset of the 2023 autumn season heralding a new wave of viral respiratory infections, characterized by considerable uncertainty, it is incumbent upon us to prepare proactively for potentially critical scenarios. Several variables, such as the recent history of outbreaks including RSV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2, the deployment of long-acting monoclonal antibodies against RSV, influenza vaccination initiatives, the emergence of novel COVID-19 variants, and many other factors, should be factored into the clinical decisions of pediatricians. This collaborative commentary, authored by experts from the French, Israeli, and Italian Societies of Pediatrics, in conjunction with the European Association of Pediatrics/Union of European National Pediatric Societies and Associations, aims at emphasizing how the interplay of these factors can cause a spectrum of potential scenarios for the impending winter season of respiratory infections, which may range from the most to the less favorable situations.
Reassessing the Paradigm for Respiratory Tract Infections in European Children
Massimo Pettoello-MantovaniConceptualization
;
2024-01-01
Abstract
In numerous Northern Hemisphere countries, the winter season of 2022-2023 has posed exceptional challenges for health care providers and pediatricians, primarily as a result of an unprecedented rise in respiratory tract infections. Globally, a plethora of studies has indicated that the implementation and subsequent relaxation of nonpharmacological interventions to curb the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 have profoundly altered the epidemiological landscape of pediatric infectious diseases.Frequently, a resurgence follows a decline in cases. Nevertheless, the enduring consequences of these transformations remain shrouded in uncertainty and defy accurate prognostication. It is prudent, however, to monitor trends in developed Southern Hemisphere countries, renowned for their robust epidemiological surveillance systems, as a harbinger of what patterns might lie ahead. The recent atypical upsurge in respiratory infections in Western nations can likely be ascribed to distinctive immunological vulnerabilities. Furthermore, during the 2022-2023 period, Europe experienced an earlier and more substantial peak in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases, resulting in a heightened incidence of hospitalized children. Regrettably, this surge coincided with a rise in bacterial infections, including group A Streptococcus and pneumococcus, in many nations. This concerning situation has been compounded by a scarcity of antibiotics. With the onset of the 2023 autumn season heralding a new wave of viral respiratory infections, characterized by considerable uncertainty, it is incumbent upon us to prepare proactively for potentially critical scenarios. Several variables, such as the recent history of outbreaks including RSV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2, the deployment of long-acting monoclonal antibodies against RSV, influenza vaccination initiatives, the emergence of novel COVID-19 variants, and many other factors, should be factored into the clinical decisions of pediatricians. This collaborative commentary, authored by experts from the French, Israeli, and Italian Societies of Pediatrics, in conjunction with the European Association of Pediatrics/Union of European National Pediatric Societies and Associations, aims at emphasizing how the interplay of these factors can cause a spectrum of potential scenarios for the impending winter season of respiratory infections, which may range from the most to the less favorable situations.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.