Why is RSV so bad this year? Symptoms, how to treat, transmission, and all you need to know

Cases of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) have reportedly shown an alarming surge across the U.S. in recent weeks. Reports suggest that children’s hospitals are getting overwhelmed due to the increased number of cases among kids.

Dr. Juan Salazar, Executive Vice President and Physician-in-Chief at Connecticut Children’s, told NBC Connecticut that the high number of hospitalizations due to the virus is becoming challenging for the hospital staff:

“Because they’re all coming at such high numbers, it’s creating a challenge for us to be able to have everyone hospitalized who needs to be hospitalized in the way we normally do it.”

He also told Today that the country has recorded the highest number of RSV cases in history over the past two months:

“We saw a little bit of (RSV) last year, but this dramatic increase in cases of RSV in September and October is not that something we have seen before historically.”

Dr. Salazar also shared that he never witnessed such rapid transmission of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in his career:

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years at Connecticut Children’s and in practice for over 30 years. At least in the hospitals that I worked with, I’ve never seen this level of rapid transmission and the need for hospitalization in kids.”

According to Everyday Health, respiratory illnesses usually peak in the months of January or February.

However, experts suggest that the virus has shown a considerable surge this year due to the early onset of the flu season and the possibility of a spike in COVID-19 cases this winter.

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Everything to know about RSV

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is a type of disease that infects the lungs and respiratory tract. Although the infection is mostly common in children, the virus can also affect adults.

According to The Mayo Clinic, the virus shows mild symptoms like common colds in healthy adults and older children but can cause severe health issues in infants, premature babies, children below the age of 12 months, older adults, individuals with heart and lung disease, and immunocompromised people.

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus is usually seasonal and considered to be highly contagious. Some of the most common symptoms of the infection are congestion, runny nose, sore throat, mild headache, dry cough, sneezing, and low-grade fever.

Symptoms in severe cases of the virus infection include fever, difficulty breathing, wheezing, severe coughing, cyanosis or the bluish colorization of the skin due to lack of oxygen.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals infected with the virus are contagious for nearly three to eight days. However, infants and immunocompromised patients can transmit the virus for up to four weeks even after they stop showing the symptoms.

The virus can be contracted through sneezes and coughs of an infected individual, transmission of virus droplets from a cough or sneeze in the eyes, nose, or mouth, touching a surface having the virus followed by contact with the face before washing hands, and coming in direct close physical contact with an infected person.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that mild cases of the virus can be treated with self-care measures to relieve discomfort. However, patients suffering from severe RSV cases should seek immediate medical attention.

The Cleveland Clinic reports that there are no specific vaccinations available to prevent the virus. Treatments usually attempt to lessen symptoms by using hydration or oxygen therapy in individuals with low oxygen levels.

Hospitalization is usually required when Respiratory Syncytial Virus causes severe respiratory distress or pneumonia.

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Exploring the causes of RSV surge in the U.S.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus has left children's hospital across the U.S. overwhelmed (Image via Getty Images)

According to the Cleveland Clinic, RSV reportedly arrived in the U.S. during the fall and winter months. However, the virus nearly disappeared amid the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic as people followed health restrictions like wearing masks and staying isolated at home.

However, as several U.S. states began lifting COVID-19 restrictions following an overall decrease in cases, RSV showed a sudden summer outbreak across the nation. Pediatric Infectious Disease expert Camille Sabella said that the most recent phenomenon was “unusual”:

“It’s a bit of a different phenomenon. We usually don’t start seeing RSV rising until November or December, so this has been very unusual.”

Elizabeth Mack, division chief of Pediatric Critical Care at MUSC Children’s Health, also shared similar theories about the sudden rise in the virus. She said:

“There have been a lot of theories on this. We had a bit of a reprieve during COVID when people were masked and isolating. So it seems like RSV is back with a vengeance.”

She also said that it remains unknown if the virus surge is related to issues surrounding immunity in the post-pandemic world:

“We don't know if this is related to immunity not being primed, and now that people are back around one another, if our immune systems are reacting differently to a stimulus because we haven't seen these stimuli as much in a couple of years.”

Several other healthcare professionals have also confirmed to CNN that there has been an “unprecedented” rise in RSV cases among children. Despite multiple theories, no specific reason for the sudden spike in the virus at an unusual time of the year has been provided so far.