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Respiratory syncytial virus in infants ≤2 months in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era: shifting patterns and outcomes

Pediatric Research (2025)Cite this article

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Invited commentary of Ronchi A, Milani GP, Agostoni C, Marchisio P, Chidini G, Pesenti N, Crimi R, Gariboldi E, Bellotti A, Cugliari M, Fabiano V, Pietrasanta C, Mosca F, Pugni L, Fumagalli M. Severity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus through the COVID-19 pandemic among infants aged ≤2 months: a secondary analysis of the IRIDE cohort study. Pediatr Research. (2025).

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) represents the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in pediatric populations and a significant contributor to hospitalization among infants.1 During the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as “lockdowns” and social distancing led to a decline in RSV-related hospitalizations globally. However, the relaxation of these interventions was followed by a resurgence of RSV infections and a corresponding increase in pediatric hospital admissions in several countries.2

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

    Spyridon Karageorgos

  2. First Department of Pediatrics, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Spyridon Karageorgos

  3. Children’s National Hospital, Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington, D.C., USA

    Ioannis Koutroulis

  4. The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA

    Ioannis Koutroulis

Authors
  1. Spyridon Karageorgos
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  2. Ioannis Koutroulis
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Correspondence to Ioannis Koutroulis.

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Karageorgos, S., Koutroulis, I. Respiratory syncytial virus in infants ≤2 months in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era: shifting patterns and outcomes. Pediatr Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04471-6

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