Acute respiratory viral infections and influenza in children: before, during, after the COVID-19 pandemic

The group of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) is one of the numerous and leading infectious viral diseases that can occur at any time of the year, recur, have a severe course and even be fatal. The aim is to analyze the SARS/influenza problem in children in the period before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic based on official statistics. Materials and methods. The incidence rate of illness for the period 2010-2023 was analyzed using the database of official reports of: the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine; WHO and USA Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Results. In the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, high seasonal intensity of influenza was noted in the periods of 2014-2015, 2017-2018, 2019-2020, caused by viruses A/H3N3, A/H3N2, A/H1N1 pdm09 and B, respectively . In terms of age, the main group consisted of children under 5 years of age. In all periods of 2010-2020, children made up the vast majority of flu patients. It is important that the 2019-2020 season, which coincided with an increase in the level of SARS-CoV-2 diseases, was also marked by a moderately high intensity of influenza and a predominance of children among the sick. In subsequent seasons, the incidence of influenza was lower. After overcoming the pandemic, the incidence rate of influenza exceeded the baseline in 23 of the 30 countries of the European region. Conclusions. In the period before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza remains the leading SARS in the world. The decrease in the number of influenza cases during the pandemic is due to a group of factors: the conditions of quarantine restrictions due to the appearance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, active vaccination, increased public attention to this problem. In all periods (2010-2023), a regularity was noted regarding the age structure of patients with influenza - children prevailed; among the latter, the greatest threat is a severe or unfavorable course. The overcoming of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world determined the further increase in the incidence of influenza in the structure of SARS, which requires improving the awareness of parents about this pathology and the possible serious consequences due to increase adherence to the introduction of an appropriate level of specific and non-specific prevention. The authors declare no conflict of interest.