In addition to Covid, more children are getting a respiratory virus more commonly seen in winter.

[OhioChick]

Last edited Mon Aug 2, 2021, 06:34 AM - Edit history (1)

Aug. 1, 2021

U.S. health officials have expressed concern over a simultaneous rise in Delta infections and cases of respiratory syncytial virus, a highly contagious seasonal flulike illness that is more likely to affect children and older adults.

Cases of R.S.V. have risen gradually since early June, with an even greater spike in the past month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness, which can cause symptoms that include a runny nose, coughing, sneezing and fever, normally begins to spread in the fall, making this summer spike unusual.

In a series of posts on Twitter, Dr. Heather Haq, a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, described an increase in both coronavirus and R.S.V. hospitalizations.

“After many months of zero or few pediatric Covid cases, we are seeing infants, children and teens with Covid pouring back into the hospital, more and more each day,” she wrote, adding that patients have ranged in age from 2 weeks to 17 years old, including some with Covid pneumonias.

Snip~ “We are on the front end of a huge Covid surge,” wrote Dr. Haq, who could not be reached for comment on Sunday. “We are now having winter-level patient volumes of acutely ill infants/toddlers with R.S.V., and I worry that we will run out of beds and staff to handle the surge upon surge.”

With children 12 and under not vaccinated, I'd NEVER send my kids to school now.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/01/world/delta-variant-kids-infections.html

[sprinkleeninow]

1. Dammit all!

[Throck]

2. Is the Covid vaccine effective against RSV?

[LisaL]

4. No, it's a different virus.

NT

[Throck]

8. Is it the seasonal cold caused by mutating virus?

[OhioChick]

5. No, R.S.V. is a completely different respiratory virus n/t

[abqtommy]

3. The influenza vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. There's no

reason not to get our children all the protection we can.

[LisaL]

6. RSV is not the same as flu.

There is no vaccine for RSV.

[OhioChick]

7. Thank you, was about to post that n/t

[abqtommy]

11. But there IS a vaccine for influenza. Will you refuse to have yourself or your child/children

vaccinated?

[OhioChick]

12. We're taling about Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html

[LisaL]

13. What does that have to do with a price of tea in China?

NT

[Dorian Gray]

9. I have an under 12

and I will be sending her to school just as I did last year. With masks and mitigation efforts, there was no community spread in the school.

Children lost a lot this last year and a half. School wasn't normal, even if they were in person most of the time. (Four days a week here, with one remote.) Shut downs twice bc of positive cases in the community, but no spread.

While I am frustrated beyond hell that the vaccine isn't available for my kid yet, and I really wish it would be as Delta is ramping up out of control in many states, I will STILL send my child to school. And many other parents will make the same decision. Why? Because it's not a zero sum game. There are mental health, educational, social well being, and many other factors that go into our decision making.

[OhioChick]

10. We can agree to disagree, I'd prefer my child not get Delta.

My kid and I have had Alpha for almost 10 months now and it's life-altering.

Good luck.

[Freddie]

14. My grandkids' school did masking and distancing

Everyone cooperated and I felt they were safe. But now some idiots on the school board want to end all that because cases are still low around here - Philly burbs where most adults are bright enough to get vaccinated. My granddaughter has ADHD and virtual school was a disaster, she NEEDS to be in school. Her parents and I would like them to continue to wear masks if not required, but I wonder how that will work with peer pressure.

[Dorian Gray]

15. Gah

I'm super grateful that masks will be required in all schools in NYC. That isn't a question for us. If masks weren't required my risk assessment would be somewhat different!