Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2 and influenza paediatric viral respiratory infections in southwest Saudi Arabia.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2 and influenza paediatric viral respiratory infections in southwest Saudi Arabia.

Publication date: Dec 01, 2025

There is a global consensus that respiratory tract infections are the major causes of morbidity and mortality among children. In this study, we aimed to compare the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections among children admitted to hospital with acute respiratory infections. We also opted to identify the predictors of paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. In this study, a retrospective investigation and analysis of 423 children who were admitted to Abha Maternity and Children Hospital, in the southern region of Saudi Arabia, between January and December 2022 were conducted. The median age of these children was 16. 5 months (Q1-Q3: 6-46. 3). It was observed that the infectivity levels of RSV, SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and influenza B infections peaked in early to mid-September, mid-July, May and June, and October, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the total WBC counts between RSV and influenza B (p = 0. 035) and SARS-CoV-2 and influenza B (p = 0. 013). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in the absolute lymphocyte count between influenza A and RSV (p = 0. 002). The median number of days in hospital was 6 days (Q1-Q3: 4-10). Patients with RSV infection required a significantly longer hospital stay, with a median of 8 days (Q1-Q3: 4-10). The factors associated with the likelihood of PICU admission for all study participants were congenital heart disease (odds ratio (OR) = 2. 9, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [1. 4-6. 1]), RSV (OR = 2. 3, 95% CI [1. 3-4. 1]) and age

Concepts Keywords
Coronavirus Child
December Child, Preschool
July children
Maternity clinical manifestation
Wbc COVID-19
epidemiology
Female
Hospitalization
Humans
Infant
influenza
Influenza, Human
Male
Respiratory syncytial virus
Respiratory Tract Infections
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
SARS-CoV-2
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Seasons

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH influenza
disease MESH respiratory infections
disease MESH causes
disease MESH morbidity
disease MESH infections
disease IDO infectivity
pathway KEGG Influenza A
disease MESH RSV infection
disease MESH congenital heart disease
disease MESH COVID-19

Original Article

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