CNN
—
The behaviors that have helped us protect ourselves from Covid-19 over the past 2½ years — lockdowns, physical distancing, wearing masks, washing hands — may be behind it. “Unrivaled” Early Rise RSV Epidemics This Year, Scientists Say.
These factors may also have played a role Other Seasonal Respiratory Viruses All around the globe.
“As long as we have a record of RSV and other respiratory diseases in the United States, there have been these regular outbreak patterns,” he said. Rachel Bakker, is an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Brown University.
“RSV appears every year in the late fall/winter and often has these outbreaks in young children. Then it disappears again in the spring/summer months and reappears the following winter,” Baker said. “It’s so routine and predictable”—until it isn’t.
Cases of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, started in the United States are shown in the spring and are now 60% higher than the peak week of 2021, An analysis by CNN shows that this number is probably lower.
In the United States, the number of flu cases is increasing and increasing Slightly earlier than usual. A few schools There has been a major absence and medical offices say more people are sick Other respiratory viruses Sometimes it doesn’t fit Regular forms.
Similar unusual patterns exist in respiratory infections such as: Adenovirus, parainfluenza and rhinovirus Other countries too.
Scientists believe the unprecedented actions of the pandemic have had unprecedented consequences.
“The magnitude of the societal changes brought about by the Covid pandemic is truly unprecedented in modern times,” he said. dr. Kevin Messagar Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Like Covid-19, RSV and flu are spread through droplets released into the air when people cough or sneeze. Drops can linger for hours on frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and light switches.
So people who washed and sanitized their hands, wore masks and kept their distance from others did more than prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Those interventions, while the best at controlling the spread of Covid-19, have kept the spread of RSV and other respiratory diseases well under control. cold fever said Bakker.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons saw a sudden drop in RSV cases and hospitalizations. Studies have shown as unusually modest Seasons of fever.
“It was really striking,” said Baker.
But once Covid-19 vaccines and treatments became available, more people started going back to school and working and socializing without masks. They also started sharing germs.
Epidemic behavior is called “immunity gap” or “immunity loan” This makes more people in the US susceptible to diseases like RSV.
Children develop a natural immunity when exposed to viruses. Most children get RSV before age 2. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he says. Some are available for newborns. Passive protection from mothers who pass antibodies through breast milk.
But for a year or two, babies born during epidemics or their environment have no chance of contracting RSV or other viruses. Their immunity is reduced or not developed at all. So when those young children and their parents come into contact with other people, they are more likely to get sick.
“Reduced exposure to domestic viruses created an immunity gap — a gap between evading infection and a lack of pathogen-specific immunity to protect against future infections,” Messager and Baker wrote in a commentary published this summer in the journal Medicine. The Lancet.
Because of this gap, they warned hospitals to be flexible and prepare for unpredictable respiratory illnesses.
“We know it’s inevitable that these diseases will come back,” Messacar told CNN.
The commentary warned of an influx of epidemics involving older children and newborns who had not been exposed to the viruses.
“Now we see it spreading quite well,” Baker said. “And it doesn’t just affect babies, it usually affects that first birth cohort as well. It’s causing an epidemic in older children.
“That’s how infectious diseases work,” he added. “If you have more business, they create more business and you get this spike.”
Baker and Messager believe this early-season pattern with RSV isn’t permanent, but it could take some time to get it back into its predictable cycle.
“We’re in a bit of a strange time right now, but I think we’re going to start seeing those regular outbreaks in the coming years — well, depending on what’s going on with Covid,” Baker said. If the coronavirus gets so bad that more lockdowns are needed, it could throw off the seasonality of other viruses again.
With viruses like the flu, there are more variables, Mesagar said.
There is no vaccine to prevent RSV, but there is a vaccine against the flu, so the flu shot is a good match for the strain in circulation and if enough people get it, the country could see an increase in the number of cases of RSV. Preventing RSV like that we have now.
Scientists are working on an RSV vaccine, but it may not come in time to help this season.
In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to control the spread of RSV, and they can be very familiar.
Wash your hands. Keep frequently used surfaces clean. Sneeze or cough into a tissue or into your elbow instead of your hands. Boost your immune system by getting more sleep and eating healthy. Wear a mask, especially if you are sick. And above all: stay home if you are sick.
“All of these non-drug interventions clearly work, and the more we can do to reduce any of these viruses, the better,” Baker said.