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Respiratory virus in children, as well as flu and COVID, is soaring

Flu cases are already higher than usual, and Covid cases are rising, and now, a third virus, R.S.V. is seeing a sharp rise in children.

Respiratory therapist works with patient on a mechanical ventilaror. Source - Rcp.basheer (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Respiratory therapist works with patient on a mechanical ventilaror. Source - Rcp.basheer (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Flu cases are already higher than usual, and Covid cases are rising, and now, a third virus, R.S.V. is seeing a sharp rise in children.

Health experts around the country are very concerned that we could be in for a “tridemic,” as one expert called it, if the flu, Covid, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases all peak at the same time.

The problem is that for two years, due to masking protocols associated with the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), illnesses like the flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses were held in check. But those precautions have been relaxed.

The surge in RSV cases in children has already pushed some children’s hospitals to their capacities. CBS News Los Angeles is reporting hospitals in the Los Angeles area are on high alert with beds filling up much earlier in the respiratory-illness-Fall-Winter season than usual.

This winter will be different

With no travel restrictions in place, and most everyone saying the country is “back to normal,” whatever that is supposed to be, we have a long holiday season right around the corner that could end up becoming a disaster.

“We’re seeing everything come back with a vengeance,” said Dr. Alpana Waghmare, an infectious diseases expert at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and a physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, reports the New York Times.

Most cases of Covid, flu and RSV are likely to be mild, but together they may sicken millions of Americans and swamp hospitals, public health experts warned.

“You’ve got this waning Covid immunity, coinciding with the impact of the flu coming along here, and R.S.V.,” said Andrew Read, an evolutionary microbiologist at Penn State University. “We’re in uncharted territory here.”

Older adults, immunocompromised people, and pregnant women are most at risk, and young children are highly susceptible to influenza and RSV. Many infected children are becoming severely ill because they have little immunity, either because it has waned or because they were not exposed to these viruses before the pandemic.

“As of today, we are seeing equal numbers of Covid, flu, and R.S.V. and that’s really concerning because we are very early for flu and R.S.V. activity,” said Dr. Diego Hijano, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

This electron micrograph reveals the morphologic traits of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The virion is variable in shape, and size (average diameter of between 120-300nm). RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age. Source – CDC, Public Domain

What is respiratory syncytial virus?

RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms in most people. Adults can usually brush off RSV in a week or two. But the Washington Post reports it’s a different story for children under the age of 1.

The virus is usually behind bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children who haven’t reached their first year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

An estimated 58,000 children under 5 are hospitalized every year in the United States because of RSV infection, according to the CDC. Between 100 and 500 children under 5 years of age die of RSV every year.

Children can get a fever, a runny nose, and a cough – causing difficulty breathing. So how do you tell the difference between RSV and the flu or covid-19?

“It’s almost impossible,” said Thomas Murray, an associate professor at the Yale University School of Medicine who specializes in pediatric infectious disease. There is a rapid antigen test, but it can’t be administered at home like coronavirus tests.

Murray said RSV, unlike the coronavirus, spreads more via surfaces than droplets. He suggests sanitizing high-touch areas such as toys, doorknobs, kitchen counters, and bathroom sinks, along with washing your hands.

“Where these infections might have been spread out over time, they’re happening all at once now,” said Céline Gounder, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Public health experts are urging Americans, especially those at high risk, to get a flu shot before cases rise much higher. Like the Covid vaccines, the flu vaccine may not be a perfect match for the circulating variant, but even so, it roughly halves the risk of hospitalization in both children and adults.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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