Impact of public health measures on the post-COVID-19 respiratory syncytial virus epidemics in France

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, other respiratory illnesses decreased worldwide. This study described the consequences of public health measures on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) severe infections in France, where an interseasonal resurgence of RSV occurred recently. All patients admitted to Necker Hospital (Paris) between August 2018 and April 2021 with a diagnosis of RSV-associated acute lung respiratory infection (ALRI) were enrolled. Characteristics of subjects with RSV-associated ALRI in 2020/2021 were compared to those infected during the two previous outbreaks. Overall, 664 inpatients were diagnosed with RSV-associated ALRI: 229, 183, and 252 during the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021 outbreaks, respectively. During autumn 2020, a national lockdown began in France but schools remained open. A 3-month delayed RSV epidemic occurred at the end of this lockdown. Compared to previous outbreaks, the 2020/2021 epidemics involved more children aged 6 to 11 months (25.8% versus 13.1%, p < 0.0001), but less infants aged < 6 months (41.3% versus 56.6%, p < 0.0001) and less adults (0.0 versus 2.7%, p < 0.0001). Shorter length of stay at hospital, less frequent requirement of admission to intensive care unit, use of non-invasive ventilation, and/or high-flow nasal oxygen were observed in 2020/2021 than during previous epidemics (p < 0.0001). Delayed RSV outbreak was associated with more hospitalizations for ALRI, higher age of pediatric inpatients, but milder median clinical phenotype. Reinforced public health measures (even while keeping nurseries and schools open with mandatory face masks since six years of age) could impact, at least transiently, the burden of RSV-related hospitalizations.