Background: To evaluate disease severity, age distribution, and seasonal patterns of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection among hospitalized children median), intensive care unit admission and/or mechanical ventilation—were compared across pre-pandemic (2015–2019), pandemic (2020–2021) and post-pandemic (2022–2023) using multivariable logistic regression. Seasonal patterns were assessed using monthly hMPV positivity rates. Results: Among 32,618 ALRI hospitalizations, 1081 (3.3%) were hMPV-positive. hMPV hospitalizations declined during the pandemic (4.3% pre-pandemic, 2.0% pandemic and 3.2% post-pandemic ( P < 0.001). Median age of hMPV hospitalization shifted from 1.1 years (interquartile range IQR 0.5–2.3) pre-pandemic to 1.5 years (IQR 0.5–2.6) during and 1.6 years (IQR 0.6–2.8) post-pandemic ( P < 0.001). Odds of extended length of stay were lower during (adjusted odds ratio aOR 0.61, 95% confidence interval CI 0.39–0.93) and post-pandemic (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.40–0.69) compared with pre-pandemic. Odds of intensive care unit admission and/or mechanical ventilation were lower during (aOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.33–1.49; P = 0.358) and post-pandemic (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.40–1.05; P = 0.080). Pre-pandemic, hMPV peaked in July–October; circulation disappeared in 2020, re-emerged in 2021 and returned to near pre-pandemic seasonality in 2023. Conclusions: Post-pandemic hMPV accounted for 3.2% of ALRI hospitalizations in children <5 years, highlighting the need for prevention, treatment and continued surveillance.
Islam et al. (Mon,) studied this question.