Trends in Viral Respiratory Infections During COVID-19 Pandemic, South Korea

We compared weekly positivity rates of 8 respiratory viruses in South Korea during 2010-2019 and 2020. The overall mean positivity rate for these viruses decreased from 54.7% in 2010-2019 to 39.1% in 2020. Pandemic control measures might have reduced the incidence of many, but not all, viral respiratory infections.

Automated summary

The study found that the weekly positivity rates of 8 respiratory viruses in South Korea decreased overall from 2010-2019 to 2020. Pandemic control measures may have reduced the incidence of many viral respiratory infections, but not all.