PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When we emerged from the constraints of the pandemic lockdown, we got much closer to others again — and likely spread viruses, including those that are not COVID-19.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, hit hard and early, according to Dr. Craig Shapiro, attending physician in pediatric infectious disease at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware.
RSV is a common cold virus that infects young children and the elderly, normally in the fall and winter. But because of the pandemic restrictions, cases spiked over the summer when we ventured back into the world.
“Children during the year, when they weren’t being exposed, likely were not developing immunity to the virus,” he said. “Younger children, who had never been exposed to the virus before, came in contact with other children and started spreading the virus.
“Now we’re seeing more cases, more severe cases because they had not been exposed to the virus before.”
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Shapiro said it’s difficult to know when the normal cycle of these viruses will be restored.
“Once people are gathering more, there’s more travel now, I think that’s really gonna tell the story,” he said. “Over the next six months, as to what the future’s gonna look like, my suspicion is over time we will get back into the seasonal routine with these viruses.
“But, I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”
Shapiro added it’s hard to guess how bad this year’s flu season will be, but if we continue to practice social distancing, handwashing and mask-wearing, we should stay healthier.
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