Post-COVID-19 Epidemiology of Viral Infections in Adults Hospitalized with Acute Respiratory Syndromes in Palermo, South of Italy

Abstract

This study evaluated the epidemiology and seasonal patterns of respiratory viruses in adults hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infections during two consecutive post-COVID-19 pandemic seasons. A retrospective study was conducted at the University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, from September 2022 to September 2024. Multiplex molecular assays were used to detect the ten respiratory viruses most relevant from an epidemiological perspective in respiratory samples (n = 1110) of 1081 patients. A respiratory viral infection was identified in 29.6% of patients. The highest viral infection rate was observed in the 31-50 age group. Human rhinovirus/enterovirus (HRV/EV) was the most frequently detected (40%), followed by influenza A virus (IAV; 18.4%) and human coronaviruses (HuCoVs; 12.8%). Viral co-infections were identified in 10.9% of positive cases, with HRV/EV, adenovirus (ADV), and parainfluenza virus (PIV) being most frequently involved. Influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses (RSVs) showed a winter seasonality, while diverse circulation patterns were revealed for the other viruses. This study demonstrated a sustained circulation of respiratory viruses in adults hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms, with HRV/EV accounting for most of them. Syndromic multiplex molecular testing, although limited to the detection of a small fraction of epidemiologically relevant known viruses, has proven to be a valuable tool, not only for diagnostic purposes but also for acquiring genotyping data and implementing epidemiological information from sentinel surveillance systems.