Respiratory pathogens circulation among non-reactive sars-cov2 patients during the covid-19 pandemic in morocco

Zakia Regragui, abderrahman bimouhen, fatima el falaki, hassan ihazmade, rokaya aitlhaj-mhand, chaimae remz, abdelkarim filali-maltouf, leila medraoui, hicham oumzil

National Influenza Center, Virology Department, National Institute of Hygiene, Ministry of Health. RABAT,Morocco

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Zakia Regragui, abderrahman bimouhen, fatima el falaki, hassan ihazmade, rokaya aitlhaj-mhand, chaimae remz, abdelkarim filali-maltouf, leila
medraoui, hicham oumzil, 2023. Respiratory Pathogens Circulation among Non-Reactive Sars-Cov2 Patients during the Covid-19 Pandemic in
Morocco. Journal of medical pharmaceutical and allied sciences, V 12 - I 6, Pages - 6209 – 6214. Doi: 10.55522/jmpas.V12I6.5666.

ABSTRACT

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted the implementation of stringent measures to curb viral transmission, including mask mandates, hand hygiene practices, and social distancing. These interventions may also have a substantial impact on the prevalence of other respiratory infections, such as influenza and severe acute respiratory illness. This study aimed to assess the incidence of respiratory pathogens among SARS-CoV-2 negative patients admitted to healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak. From February to July 2021, nasopharyngeal swabs from 167 adults presenting with COVID-19 syndrome symptoms and negative SARS-CoV-2 tests were collected from seven regional sites across Morocco. Multiplexed nucleic acid testing was employed to simultaneously detect and differentiate 22 respiratory pathogens. Our findings revealed a 43% (n=72) overall prevalence of respiratory pathogens, with Human Rhinovirus (HRV) accounting for 38%, Human Coronavirus OC43 HCoV OC43) for 37%, and Human Parainfluenza3 (HPIV3) for 12%. In contrast to the decline in Influenza A/B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) detection, a significant increase was observed in HRV and HCoV OC43 prevalence. These observations suggest that SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic measures have significantly altered the dynamics of airborne transmission and epidemic patterns for respiratory pathogens. Our findings provide valuable insights into the impact of COVID-19 containment strategies on respiratory infection epidemiology and can inform future prevention and management strategies.

Keywords:

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Respiratory viruses, Respiratory bacteria, Acute respiratory infections.

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