Significant and sustained decrease in non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral infections during COVID-19 public health interventions.

Whitman, Jeffrey D.; Pham, Phong; Bern, Caryn; Dekker, Elaine M.; Haller, Barbara L.; Jain, Vivek; Winston, Lisa G.

Public health interventions to decrease the spread of SARS-CoV-2 were largely implemented in the United States during spring 2020. This study evaluates the additional effects of these interventions on non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral infections from a single healthcare system in the San Francisco Bay Area. The results of a respiratory pathogen multiplex polymerase chain reaction panel intended for inpatient admissions were analyzed by month between 2019 and 2020. We found major decreases in the proportion and diversity of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral illnesses in all months following masking and shelter-in-place ordinances. These findings suggest real-world effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical interventions on droplet-transmitted respiratory infections.