Surveillance in hospitalized children with infectious diseases in Japan: Pre- and post-coronavirus disease 2019

Yuya Fukuda; Takeshi Tsugawa; Yoshinobu Nagaoka; Akira Ishii; Tomohiro Nawa; Atsuo Togashi; Jun Kunizaki; Satoshi Hirakawa; Junya Iida; Toju Tanaka; Toshitaka Kizawa; Dai Yamamoto; Ryoh Takeuchi; Yoshiyuki Sakai; Masayoshi Kikuchi; Kazushige Nagai; Hirofumi Asakura; Rina Tanaka; Masaki Yoshida; Ryo Hamada; Yukihiko Kawasaki

doi:10.1016/j.jiac.2021.07.024

Surveillance in hospitalized children with infectious diseases in Japan: Pre- and post-coronavirus disease 2019

J Infect Chemother. 2021 Nov;27(11):1639-1647. doi: 10.1016/j.jiac.2021.07.024. Epub 2021 Aug 4.

Authors

Yuya Fukuda¹, Takeshi Tsugawa², Yoshinobu Nagaoka³, Akira Ishii³, Tomohiro Nawa⁴, Atsuo Togashi⁵, Jun Kunizaki⁶, Satoshi Hirakawa⁷, Junya Iida⁸, Toju Tanaka⁹, Toshitaka Kizawa¹⁰, Dai Yamamoto¹¹, Ryoh Takeuchi¹², Yoshiyuki Sakai¹³, Masayoshi Kikuchi¹⁴, Kazushige Nagai¹⁵, Hirofumi Asakura¹⁶, Rina Tanaka¹⁷, Masaki Yoshida¹⁸, Ryo Hamada¹⁹, Yukihiko Kawasaki³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Steel Memorial Muroran Hospital, 45-1, Chiribetsucho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 050-0076, Japan. Electronic address: fuku.da1f9@gmail.com.
² Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-16 Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8543, Japan. Electronic address: tsugawat@sapmed.ac.jp.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-16 Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8543, Japan.
⁴ Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Hokkaido Medical Center for Child Health and Rehabilitation, 6-240-1-1, Kanayama Teine-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 006-0041, Japan.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Iwamizawa Municipal General Hospital, 2 West-7, 9-Jo, Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, 068-8555, Japan.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Japan Red Cross Urakawa Hospital, 1-2-1, Chinomi, Higashimachi, Urakawagun Urakawacho, Hokkaido, 057-0007, Japan.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, NTT Medical Center Sapporo, South-1, West-15, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0061, Japan.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, Otaru Kyokai Hospital, 15-6-1, Suminoe, Otaru, Hokkaido, 047-8510, Japan.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido Medical Center, 1-1-7-5, Yamanote, Nishi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 063-0005, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Japan Community Health Care Organization Sapporo Hokushin Hospital, 1-2-6-2, Atsubetsuchuo, Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 004-8618, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Kushiro City General Hospital, 12-1, Shunkodai, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-0822, Japan.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, Nemuro City Hospital, 2-1, Ariisocho, Nemuro, Hokkaido, 087-8686, Japan.
¹³ Department of Pediatrics, Hakodate Municipal Hospital, 1-10-1, Minatomachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8680, Japan.
¹⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Sunagawa City Medical Center, 1-1, North-3, West-4, Sunagawa, Hokkaido, 073-0196, Japan.
¹⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Takikawa Municipal Hospital, 34-2-2, Oomachi, Takikawa, Hokkaido, 073-0022, Japan.
¹⁶ Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido Esashi Hospital, 484, Fushikidocho, Hiyamagun Esashicho, Hokkaido, 043-0022, Japan.
¹⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Tomakomai City Hospital, 20-5-1, Shimizucho, Tomakomai, Hokkaido, 053-8567, Japan.
¹⁸ Department of Pediatrics, Yakumo General Hospital, 50, Shinonomecho, Futamigun Yakumocho, Hokkaido, 049-3197, Japan.
¹⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Rumoi City Hospital, 1-16-2, Shinonomecho, Rumoi, Hokkaido, 077-8511, Japan.

Abstract

Introduction: The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly spread worldwide, and the various infection control measures have a significant influence on the spread of many infectious diseases. However, there have been no multicenter studies on how the number of hospitalized children with various infectious diseases changed before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective survey for hospitalized pediatric patients in 18 hospitals in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, from July 2019 to February 2021. We defined July 2019 to February 2020 as pre-COVID-19, and July 2020 to February 2021 as post-COVID-19. We surveyed various infectious diseases by sex and age.

Results: In total, 5300 patients were hospitalized during the study period. The number of patients decreased from 4266 in the pre-COVID-19 period to 701 (16.4%) post-COVID-19. Patients with influenza and RSV decreased from 308 to 795 pre-COVID-19 to zero and three (0.4%) post-COVID-19. However, patients with adenovirus (respiratory infection) only decreased to 60.9% (46-28) of pre-COVID levels. Patients with rotavirus, norovirus, and adenovirus gastroenteritis decreased markedly post-COVID-19 to 2.6% (38-1), 27.8% (97-27) and 13.5% (37-5). The number of patients with UTIs was similar across the two periods (109 and 90). KD patients decreased to 31.7% (161-51) post-COVID-19.

Conclusions: We suggest that current infection control measures for COVID-19 such as wearing masks, washing hands, and disinfecting hands with alcohol are effective against various infectious diseases. However, these effects vary by disease.

Keywords: Bacteria; COVID-19; Child; Hospitalization; Infection; Virus.

Publication types

Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Child
Child, Hospitalized
Communicable Diseases*
Humans
Japan / epidemiology
Prospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2