Oct. 26 (Reuters) – A surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases coincides with an increase in COVID infections and an earlier-than-usual flu season, U.S. doctors warn Increasing anxiety of the organ syncytial “triple demic”. sick this winter.
In particular, respiratory syncytial virus infections in young children have reportedly caused some hospitals in the United States to reach capacity.
“We have already identified patients who have tested positive for multiple viruses,” said Dr. Ira Wardno, a pediatrician at Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, Calif.
WHO IS AT RISK?
Infants are most at risk of RSV because they are often unable to cough up the secretions caused by the virus and may require airway suction and intravenous fluids. Additional oxygen may be required. Older children and most adults usually experience mild cold-like symptoms.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV causes an average of 58,000 hospitalizations in children under the age of 5 and 177,000 in adults over the age of 65 each year.
Although deaths from RSV in children in the United States are rare, the virus kills 14,000 adults each year, with the elderly and those with compromised immune systems most at risk, the CDC said.
[1/4] A child wears a mask and rides in a stroller in Times Square during the COVID-19 outbreak in Manhattan, New York City, USA, December 15, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo
What can prevent RSV?
You can prevent getting infected with RSV the same way you prevent the virus: stay away from sick people, ensure the best possible ventilation when indoors, wear a good quality mask and keep your hands as clean as possible. keep. Dr. Jay Varma, Kroll.com’s chief medical his advisor and director of the Weill Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response, said:
High-risk infants can receive prophylactic treatment with monthly doses of Synagis (palivizumab) from the Swedish pharmaceutical company Orphan Biovitrum. AstraZeneca Plc and Sanofi SA want US and European approval of Beyfortus (nirsevimab) to prevent her RSV infection in newborns and infants.
There is no vaccine against RSV, but Pfizer is developing RSVpreF for adults. In the meantime, “it’s important that everyone is up to date on COVID and flu vaccines,” Varma said.
What caused this surge?
Part of the increase in RSV cases is due to the relaxation of COVID precautions, such as masks and social distancing, which led to a decline in both RSV and flu rates during the pandemic, Varma said.
RSV rates were unusually low in the fall/winter 2020-2021, but increased dramatically from spring 2021 and spiked from late August.
The CDC says it cannot yet predict when previous seasonal patterns will return.
Reporting by Nancy Rapid.Edited by Michele Gershberg and Richard Pullin
Our criteria: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
