A STUDY ON CLINICAL PROFILE AND NON-COVID RESPIRATORY VIRAL INFECTIONS IN A NON-COVID TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KOLKATA DURING COVID PANDEMIC

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical picture and viral aetiologies (other than SARS-CoV-2) of acute respiratory tract infections in under- ve children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a hospital based, prospective, observational and cross-sectional study carried out among under-ve children admitted at IPGME & R, Kolkata, satisfying both inclusion and exclusion criteria. During the study period of one and a half year, after taking consent from the parents, clinical data were collected in pre-formed questionnaire and rt-PCR was implemented to detect respiratory viral pathogen. The statistical analysis was done by using Statistica version 8. Results: A total of 142 children of mean age 13.18 months with Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) and COVID RT-PCR negative were included in this study. Passive smoking (p-value 0.023), partially completed vaccination (p-value 0.041), non-exclusive breast-feeding in rst 6 months of life (p-value 0.031), history of low birth weight (p-value 0.044) and family history of recent contact of ARI has statistically signicant positive correlation with ARI (0.018). Rhinorrhoea was the most common symptom (prevalence 84%). RSV-A was the most common viral pathogen (33.10%). The death was most strongly associated with adenovirus (RR= 7.962; OR= 28.846; 95%CI= 2.795- 297.719). Congestive cardiac failure, secondary bacterial pneumonia, acute otitis media and acute gastroenteritis were the most prevalent complications. Conclusion: The results provided aetiology, prevalence, seasonality, and clinical manifestations of upper respiratory tract infections and the association of complications and death with each pathogen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies will detect broader range of viruses for better clinico-virological correlation.