Non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 transiently reduced pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae carriage in a cross-sectional pediatric cohort in Southampton, UK
Non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 transiently reduced pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae carriage in a cross-sectional pediatric cohort in Southampton, UK
The Southampton pneumococcal carriage study of children under 5 years old continued during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we present data from October 2018 to March 2023 describing prevalence of pneumococci and other pathobionts during the winter seasons before, during, and after the introduction of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from children attending outpatient clinics at a secondary care hospital and community healthcare sites. Pre-NPIs, in 2019/2020, the carriage prevalence of pneumococci at the hospital site was 32% (n = 161 positive/499 participants). During NPIs, this fell to 19% (n = 12/64), although based on fewer participants compared to previous years due to COVID-19 restrictions on health-care attendance. In 2021/2022, after NPIs had eased, prevalence rebounded to 33% (n = 15/46) [compared to NPIs period, χ2 (1, N = 110) =2.78, P = 0.09]. Carriage prevalence at community healthcare sites fell significantly from 27% (n = 127/470) in 2019/2020 to 19% during the NPI period (n = 44/228) in 2020/2021 [χ2 (1, N = 698) =4.95, P = 0.026]. No rebound was observed in 2021/2022 [19% (n = 56/288)]. However, in a multivariate logistic regression model, neither site had a significantly lower carriage prevalence during the NPI period compared to the post NPI period. A reduction in serotype diversity was observed in 2020/2021. Carriage of Haemophilus influenzae was particularly affected by NPIs with a significant reduction observed. In conclusion, among children under 5 years of age, transient, modest, and statistically non-significant alterations in carriage of both Streptococcus pneumoniae and H. influenzae were associated with SARS-CoV-2 NPIs.
carriage, COVID-19, Haemophilus influenzae, SARS-CoV2, Streptococcus pneumoniae
Cleary, David W.
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Campling, James
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Lahuerta, Maria
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Hayford, Kyla
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Southern, Jo
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Gessner, Bradford D.
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Lo, Stephanie W.
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Bentley, Stephen D.
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Faust, Saul N.
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Clarke, Stuart C.
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6 August 2024
Cleary, David W.
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Campling, James
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Lahuerta, Maria
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Hayford, Kyla
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Southern, Jo
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Gessner, Bradford D.
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Lo, Stephanie W.
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Bentley, Stephen D.
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Faust, Saul N.
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Clarke, Stuart C.
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Cleary, David W., Campling, James, Lahuerta, Maria, Hayford, Kyla, Southern, Jo, Gessner, Bradford D., Lo, Stephanie W., Bentley, Stephen D., Faust, Saul N. and Clarke, Stuart C.
(2024)
Non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 transiently reduced pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae carriage in a cross-sectional pediatric cohort in Southampton, UK.
Microbiology Spectrum, 12 (8), [e00224-24].
(doi:10.1128/spectrum.00224-24).
Abstract
The Southampton pneumococcal carriage study of children under 5 years old continued during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we present data from October 2018 to March 2023 describing prevalence of pneumococci and other pathobionts during the winter seasons before, during, and after the introduction of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from children attending outpatient clinics at a secondary care hospital and community healthcare sites. Pre-NPIs, in 2019/2020, the carriage prevalence of pneumococci at the hospital site was 32% (n = 161 positive/499 participants). During NPIs, this fell to 19% (n = 12/64), although based on fewer participants compared to previous years due to COVID-19 restrictions on health-care attendance. In 2021/2022, after NPIs had eased, prevalence rebounded to 33% (n = 15/46) [compared to NPIs period, χ2 (1, N = 110) =2.78, P = 0.09]. Carriage prevalence at community healthcare sites fell significantly from 27% (n = 127/470) in 2019/2020 to 19% during the NPI period (n = 44/228) in 2020/2021 [χ2 (1, N = 698) =4.95, P = 0.026]. No rebound was observed in 2021/2022 [19% (n = 56/288)]. However, in a multivariate logistic regression model, neither site had a significantly lower carriage prevalence during the NPI period compared to the post NPI period. A reduction in serotype diversity was observed in 2020/2021. Carriage of Haemophilus influenzae was particularly affected by NPIs with a significant reduction observed. In conclusion, among children under 5 years of age, transient, modest, and statistically non-significant alterations in carriage of both Streptococcus pneumoniae and H. influenzae were associated with SARS-CoV-2 NPIs.
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cleary-et-al-2024-non-pharmaceutical-interventions-for-covid-19-transiently-reduced-pneumococcal-and-haemophilus
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Accepted/In Press date: 12 June 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 July 2024
Published date: 6 August 2024
Keywords:
carriage, COVID-19, Haemophilus influenzae, SARS-CoV2, Streptococcus pneumoniae
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Local EPrints ID: 495928
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/495928
ISSN: 2165-0497
PURE UUID: ae6db37b-3507-4a58-a53d-a7f1c4a6ed7f
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Date deposited: 27 Nov 2024 17:54
Last modified: 28 Nov 2024 02:40
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Author:
David W. Cleary
Author:
James Campling
Author:
Maria Lahuerta
Author:
Kyla Hayford
Author:
Jo Southern
Author:
Bradford D. Gessner
Author:
Stephanie W. Lo
Author:
Stephen D. Bentley
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