According to specialists, there is more respiratory illness among American children than only the coronavirus.
Typically, the winter months see an increase in respiratory illnesses. However, this year’s surge began sooner and with more force than usual.
According to several paediatric hospitals, there are not enough beds for all the sick children clogging up emergency rooms around the nation, according to a report by National Public Radio.
“Up to 25% of people who have tested positive for RSV have it (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). We would generally start to see increased rates in November, December, and January, so that is extremely rare for October “NPR was informed by paediatric infectious diseases expert Ibukun Kalu, MD, of Duke Children’s Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.
In the upcoming colder months, she predicted, more adults could be affected.
“The narrower airways in children are the cause of some of these viruses’ more severe diseases, she said. “They are unable to clean out a lot of these secretions or allow air in because the viruses get in there and generate such a high amount of inflammation.”
Healthcare professionals had informed the CDC in September that there had been an increase in paediatric hospitalizations for patients with severe respiratory illnesses who had also tested positive for rhinovirus and/or enterovirus.
Hospitals were cautioned by the CDC to remain vigilant about paediatric patients who may have serious infections, and patients were urged to watch out for signs like trouble breathing and a quick start of limb weakness.
