Dynamics of endemic virus re-emergence in children in the USA following the COVID-19 pandemic (2022–23): a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, immunoepidemiological surveillance study
The Lancet Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1016/s1473-3099(25)00349-4
- PMID
- 40782819
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W4413049689
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Monitoring immune markers alongside traditional testing may strengthen forecasting models for seasonal respiratory illness. More accurate projections could help health agencies anticipate future infection surges and optimize resource distribution.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The investigation examines how the removal of pandemic control measures influenced the resurgence and spread of common respiratory viruses among US youth.
Study design
A forward-looking, multi-site observational cohort tracking immune responses and viral detection over two consecutive years.
Population and setting
Pediatric participants under eleven years of age recruited from academic medical facilities across the United States.
Main findings
Serum antibody concentrations against several respiratory agents rose considerably during the observation window, particularly among younger participants with initially low immunity. Approximately forty percent of tested individuals demonstrated recent exposure to major circulating viruses. Merging these immune markers with existing case reports significantly improved the precision of long-term transmission forecasts.
Public-health relevance
Monitoring immune markers alongside traditional testing may strengthen forecasting models for seasonal respiratory illness. More accurate projections could help health agencies anticipate future infection surges and optimize resource distribution.
Important limitations
Participant retention was incomplete, with several individuals withdrawing or dropping out between assessment phases. The analytical results rely on a limited number of matched blood and respiratory samples rather than the full enrolled group.
GIDS interpretation
This record offers historical serological metrics that researchers can use to contextualize past pediatric respiratory pathogen activity. The dataset supports retrospective trend analysis and methodological benchmarking without indicating active real-time monitoring functions.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 14 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.