Reduced spread of influenza and other respiratory viral infections during the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Puerto Rico.

Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science

COVID-19*/epidemiology ; Influenza, Human*/epidemiology ; Influenza, Human*/prevention & control ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human* ; Viruses*; Humans ; Pandemics/prevention & control ; Puerto Rico/epidemiology

Introduction: Impacts of COVID-19 mitigation measures on seasonal respiratory viruses is unknown in sub-tropical climates.
Methods: We compared weekly testing and test-positivity of respiratory infections in the 2019-2020 respiratory season to the 2012-2018 seasons in southern Puerto Rico using Wilcoxon signed rank tests.
Results: Compared to the average for the 2012-2018 seasons, test-positivity was significantly lower for Influenza A (p<0.001) & B (p<0.001), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (p<0.01), respiratory adenovirus (AdV) (p<0.05), and other respiratory viruses (p<0.001) following March 2020 COVID-19 stay at home orders.
Conclusions: Mitigation measures and behavioral social distancing choices may have reduced respiratory viral spread in southern Puerto Rico.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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U01 CK000437 United States CK NCEZID CDC HHS; U01 CK000580 United States CK NCEZID CDC HHS

Date Created: 20220427 Date Completed: 20220429 Latest Revision: 20230324

20231215

PMC9045654

10.1371/journal.pone.0266095

35476785