Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants. RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States.The CDC reports that RSV infections typically occur in late fall and winter.The American Academy of Pediatrics noted that masking and social distancing meant infants and young children who would have gotten RSV last year, didn't. However, according to an infectious diseases specialist at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, as many states have lifted mask mandates and other restrictions, doctors are starting to see a resurgence of the virus, and earlier than usual.
Hello, I’m Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs at Southeast Missouri State University. Health care workers on the front lines say that in addition to more children being hospitalized with the delta variant than the first COVID wave, there is a surge in children diagnosed with a combination of COVID-19 and RSV.
Until children under 12 can be vaccinated against COVID, it is important for good masking, distancing, and hand-washing to continue. If a child wakes up coughing and sneezing, don’t send them to school. Monitor their symptoms and consult a health professional if it seems like more than a cold so you child can be tested for COVID and/or RSV. You can also consider purchasing over the counter antigen tests to have on hand for peace of mind.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2021/08/05/peds.2021-052089
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/14/1027663917/rsv-covid-children
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/RSV-When-Its-More-Than-Just-a-Cold.aspx
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/08/10/1025663559/how-to-keep-your-child-safe-from-the-delta-variant
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/989934597/as-at-home-coronavirus-tests-hit-pharmacies-what-role-can-they-play-in-the-pande