Changing Infection Dynamics with the Pandemic: Distribution of Viral Agents of Respiratory Tract Infections in the Last 5 Years

Introduction: The measures taken against Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) positively impacted the reduction of its transmission. In addition, these measures also significantly decreased the spread of infections caused by other respiratory viruses. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of respiratory virus infections, other than SARS-CoV-2, during the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and investigated their course during both the quarantine and normalization periods.Materials and Methods: Swab samples sent to Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine Hospital Medical Microbiology Laboratory between May 2017 and May 2022 to determine the viral agents of respiratory tract infections by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were retrospectively scanned.Results: A total of 187,240 SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were performed between April 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, and 14,773 (9.82%) tests were reported as positive. Based on our observation, the viruses demonstrating a decrease during the pandemic period were influenza A and B, seasonal H1N1, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus A and B, and human herpes virus 7. No changes were observed in the infection rates of parvovirus B19, adenovirus, and human rhinovirus.Conclusion: In our study, we observed a serious decline in the cases caused by other respiratory viral agents and the detection rates of these agents during the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. This can be attributed to the extensive impact of the measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate the spread of respiratory infections. Our results are a reflection of this situation. We believe that the data obtained from a large number of samples will serve as a guide for managing infections during the current pandemic and for future experiences.