Characteristics of the delayed respiratory syncytial virus epidemic, 2020/2021, Rhône Loire, France
Jean‐Sébastien Casalegno, Dominique Ploin, Aymeric Cantais, Elsa Masson, Émilie Bard, Martine Valette, Rémi Fanget, Sandrine Couray Targe, Anne-Florence Myar-Dury, Muriel Doret-Dion, Mona Massoud, Grégory Quéromès, Philippe Vanhems, Olivier Claris, Marine Butin, Sylvie Pillet, Florence Ader, Sylvie Bin, Alexandre Gaymard, Bruno Lina, Florence Morfin, VRS study group in Lyon, Étienne Javouhey, Yves Gillet
Abstract
The Rhône-Loire metropolitan areas' 2020/21 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic was delayed following the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), compared with previous seasons. Very severe lower respiratory tract infection incidence among infants ≤ 3 months decreased twofold, the proportion of cases among children aged > 3 months to 5 years increased, and cases among adults > 65 years were markedly reduced. NPI appeared to reduce the RSV burden among at-risk groups, and should be promoted to minimise impact of future RSV outbreaks.