Publication date: Aug 01, 2026
Diverse quarantine measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have affected the distribution patterns of respiratory pathogens. This study analyzed changes in the incidence and distribution of major respiratory pathogens during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the endemic declaration. In addition, the study aimed to provide a basis for future community-centered infectious disease response strategies by identifying co-infection patterns and whether pathogens re-emerge after mitigation. In this retrospective study, the results of 105,619 respiratory pathogen tests, including FilmArray(R) Respiratory Panel (BioFire Diagnostics) assay (FilmArray RP), influenza tests, and COVID-19 tests, were collected at a Korean university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic (Period I: March 2021 through April 2023) and endemic (Period II: May 2023 through February 2025). The changes in the distribution of major pathogens, age and gender characteristics, seasonality, and co-infection patterns were compared between the two periods. The overall positivity rate for the FilmArray RP significantly increased from 64. 4% in Period I to 71. 1% in Period II (p
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 Pandemic |
| disease | MESH | infectious disease |
| pathway | REACTOME | Infectious disease |
| disease | MESH | co-infection |
| disease | MESH | influenza |
| disease | MESH | parainfluenza |
| disease | MESH | Respiratory Tract Infections |