Acute respiratory infections during the first six years of life in Germany : an analysis of birth cohort data

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are common in children and pose a high medical and socio-economic burden. To date, only a limited number of studies have investigated the burden of ARI using prospective data collection. This thesis aims to assess the ARI burden in children up to six years of age in Germany, focusing on incidence, symptoms, and risk factors. For a sub-sample, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ARI incidence and viral pathogens is examined. Data were used from LoewenKIDS, a population-based birth cohort which followed 782 children born between 2014 and 2018 from birth until the age of six. The mean cumulative ARI duration was 51.5 weeks. The highest yearly incidence was observed in the second year of life (7.7 ARI). Childcare attendance increased ARI frequency. During the 2020/2021 lockdown winter, ARI incidence dropped sharply, with most viruses disappearing from nasal samples, while human rhinoviruses remained largely unaffected.