Download or read book Change in Epidemiology and Etiology of Respiratory Tract and Gastrointestinal Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic written by Philippe Gautret and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-08-28 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the epidemiology and etiology of respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections. The implementation of control measures such as social distancing and hand hygiene was associated with a decrease in the incidence of some respiratory and gastrointestinal infections caused by other viruses and bacteria. Epidemiological data suggest that the incidence of respiratory tract infections other than SARS-CoV-2 infection has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to the adoption of several non-pharmaceutical interventions in public areas. Currently, there is very little research on the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious pathogens in terms of microbiome and virome. As a matter of fact, changes in the epidemiology of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections may be due to other causes than SARS-CoV-2-specific control measures. It is still unclear whether these changes might result from direct interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the microbiome and/or virome. Continuous and ongoing efforts to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious diseases are critical in advancing scientific discovery for prevention and treatment strategies for future pandemics. Through this research theme, we aim to explore scientific gaps related to our understanding of the changes in epidemiology and pathogenic agents responsible for respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.