Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Respiratory Surveillance and
Explanation of High Detection Rate of Human Rhinovirus During the
Pandemic in the Republic of Korea
Abstract
Background: After the detection of the first case of coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea on January 20, 2019, it has triggered
three major outbreaks. To decrease the disease burden of COVID-19,
social distancing and active mask wearing were encouraged, reducing the
number of patients with influenza-like illness and altering the
detection rate of influenza and respiratory viruses in the Korea
Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Surveillance System (KINRESS). We
examined the changes in respiratory viruses due to COVID-19 in South
Korea and virological causes of the high detection rate of human
rhinovirus (hRV) in 2020. Methods: We collected 52,684 oropharyngeal or
nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients with influenza-like illness in
cooperation with KINRESS from 2016 to 2020. Influenza virus and other
respiratory viruses were confirmed using real-time RT-PCR. The weekly
detection rate was used to compare virus detection patterns. Results:
Non-enveloped virus (hRV, human bocavirus, and human adenovirus)
detection rates during the COVID-19 pandemic were maintained. The
detection rate of hRV significantly increased in 2020 compared with that
in 2019 and was negatively correlated with number of COVID-19-confirmed
cases in 2020. The distribution of strains and genetic characteristics
in hRV did not differ between 2019 and 2020. Conclusions: The extremely
low detection rate of enveloped viruses resulted from efforts to prevent
the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea. The high detection rate of hRV
may be related to resistance against environmental conditions as a
non-enveloped virus and the long period of viral shedding from patients.