More than 70 percent of pediatric hospital beds across the United States are now occupied due to an “unprecedented” outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to health officials. It’s an alarming surge, especially amid flu season and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, so here is what parents need to know to keep their children safe.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It affects virtually all children by the time they turn 2 years old.
In healthy children and teens, RSV usually causes mild cold-like symptoms that subside after 1–2 weeks. The virus is more dangerous for premature infants, babies younger than 12 months, young children with weakened immune systems, and children younger than 2 with lung or heart disease.
RSV cases usually peak later in the year, so this outbreak has doctors puzzled, and worried about a shortage of hospital beds once flu season ramps up in the U.S. Some experts have theorized that COVID-19-related social distancing measures created an “immunity gap” among young children, who would have otherwise already contracted RSV.
“I think the biggest concern from my perspective is the uncertainty of when the RSV surge will peak and what will happen with influenza as it has started to circulate in the area,” Dr. Thomas Murray, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, told ABC News. “Increasing numbers of influenza along with high RSV numbers will require us to further expand our strategies to care for the children that need it.”
This surge in RSV cases has hit some states harder than others — namely, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. Leaders at several U.S. hospitals have told CNN they are “overwhelmed” with patients. The CDC doesn’t track RSV hospitalizations or deaths, but the agency has acknowledged the rise in RSV cases nationwide.
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“I mean, I hope we’re peaking right now, because if we’re not, then holy hell,” Dr. Amy Edwards, associate medical director for pediatric infection control UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Ohio, told the news outlet.
RSV spreads via contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets or a contaminated surface. It can be difficult to detect because it presents with many of the same symptoms as other illnesses, like the common cold — think coughing, wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, or fever.
Prevention is key. Since very young infants and children who are immunocompromised are more vulnerable to severe illness from RSV, their parents and loved ones should prioritize personal hygiene (hand-washing, disinfecting communal surfaces, etc.) and avoid contact with sick people. These are also just good practices across the board, especially with flu season rearing its head.
In general, parents should teach their children to sneeze and cough into their arm. And if your child seems sick or lethargic, by all means, keep them home from school.
Children who develop severe RSV illness may struggle to breathe normally and need oxygen support, intubation, or mechanical ventilation, all of which require hospitalization. Parents should seek medical help immediately if their child is wheezing, can’t breathe, or becoming blue in the face. Per the CDC, “One to two out of every 100 children younger than 6 months of age with RSV infection may need to be hospitalized.” Most patients recover and are discharged in just a few days.
For otherwise healthy RSV patients, the CDC recommends taking steps at home to relieve symptoms — and of course, keeping your child home to curb the spread.
Before you go, check out the all-natural cough and cold products for kids we love:
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