Impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of respiratory viral infections and clinical characteristics of associated febrile seizures

BACKGROUND: Viral infections of the upper respiratory tract are one of the most common causes of febrile seizures (FSs). During the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mitigation measures have contributed to changes in the incidence of respiratory viral infections. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of respiratory viral infections and clinical characteristics of FSs. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 988 episodes of FS (865 before the pandemic and 123 during the pandemic) between March 2016 and February 2022. Seizure characteristics and their outcomes, along with the distribution of identified respiratory viruses were compared before and during the pandemic. RESULTS: The occurrence of FSs decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to that before the pandemic. A substantial reduction in the incidence of influenza virus infections was observed (P<0.001) during the pandemic, while the incidence of rhinovirus infection was not significantly changed (P=0.811). Interestingly, a significantly high incidence of parainfluenza virus (P=0.001) infections was observed during the pandemic. No statistically significant between-group differences were observed in the clinical presentation and outcomes of FSs before and during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Despite epidemiological changes in respiratory viral infections, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of FSs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were comparable.