This study aims to evaluate the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on the prevalence of respiratory pathogens among hospitalised children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in Suzhou. Children with ARIs admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Soochow University between 1 September 2021 and 31 December 2022 and subjected to 13 respiratory pathogen multiplex PCR assays were included in the study. We retrospectively collected demographic details, results of respiratory pathogen panel tests, and discharge diagnostic information of the participants, and described the age and seasonal distribution of respiratory pathogens and risk factors for developing pneumonia. A total of 10,396 children <16 years of age, including 5,905 males and 4,491 females, were part of the study. The positive rates of the 11 respiratory pathogen assays were 23.3% (human rhinovirus (HRV)), 15.9% (human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV)), 10.5% (human metapneumovirus (HMPV)), 10.3% (human parainfluenza virus (HPIV)), 8.6% (mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP)), 5.8% (Boca), 3.5% (influenza A (InfA)), 2.9% (influenza B (InfB)), 2.7% (human coronavirus (HCOV)), 2.0% (adenovirus (ADV)), and 0.5% (Ch), respectively. Bocavirus and HPIV detection peaked during the period from September to November (autumn), and MP and HMPV peaked in the months of November and December. The peak of InfA detection was found to be in summer (July and August), whereas the InfB peak was observed to be in winter (December, January, and February). HRSV and HRV predominated in the <3 years age group. HRV and HMPV were common in the 3–6 years group, whereas MP was predominant in the ≥6 years group. MP (odds ratio (OR): 70.068, 95%CI: 32.665–150.298, P < 0.01), HMPV (OR: 6.493, 95%CI: 4.802–8.780, P < 0.01), Boca (OR: 3.300, 95%CI: 2.186–4.980, P < 0.01), and HRSV (OR: 2.649, 95%CI: 2.089–3.358, P < 0.01) infections were more likely to develop into pneumonia than the other pathogens. With the use of NPIs, HRV was the most common pathogen in children with ARIs, and MP was more likely to progress to pneumonia than other pathogens.

School lockdowns have been widely used to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these lockdowns may have a significant negative impact on the lives of young people. In this study, we have evaluated the impact of closing lower secondary schools for COVID-19 incidence in 13–15-year-olds in Finland, in a situation where restrictions and recommendation of social distancing were implemented uniformly in the entire country. COVID-19 case numbers were obtained from the National Infectious Disease Registry (NIDR) of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, in which clinical microbiology laboratories report all positive SARS-CoV-2 tests with unique identifiers in a timely manner. The NIDR is linked to population data registry, enabling calculation of incidences. We estimated the differences in trends between areas with both restaurant and lower secondary school closures and areas with only restaurant closures in different age groups by using joinpoint regression. We also estimated the differences in trends between age groups. Based on our analysis, closing lower secondary schools had no impact on COVID-19 incidence among 13–15-year-olds. No significant changes on COVID-19 incidence were observed in other age groups either.

Nearly 1 year into the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the first severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccines received emergency use authorisation and vaccination campaigns began. A number of factors can reduce the averted burden of cases and deaths due to vaccination. Here, we use a dynamic model, parametrised with Bayesian inference methods, to assess the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) (such as social distancing, mask mandates, school and workplace closure), and vaccine administration and uptake rates on infections and deaths averted in the United States. We show that scenarios depicting higher compliance with NPIs avert more than 60% of infections and 70% of deaths during the period of vaccine administration, and that increasing the vaccination rate from 5 to 11 million people per week could increase the averted burden by more than one-third. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining NPIs and increasing vaccine administration rates.