The United States is seeing the simultaneous spread of 3 respiratory viruses, influenza, corona and respiratory syncytial virus, which puts hospitals under great pressure, according to American experts.
Jose Romero, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said: “We suspect that many children are now exposed for the first time to some respiratory viruses, because they have avoided them during the epidemic thanks to the measures that have been adopted (masks, closures, etc.).
He added in a press conference that the monitoring system for cold-like symptoms (fever, sore throat, etc.) in emergency wards and clinics has experienced “high activity”.
“We are seeing the highest rate of hospital admissions due to the flu in a decade,” he said, adding that so far two children had died.
She pointed out that if the child has difficulty breathing, muscle aches or dehydration (dry lips, for example), it is important to introduce him to a doctor.
Experts say it is still unclear whether the flu virus circulating this year causes more severe symptoms of the disease, but the disease season began early.
The United States still records more than 270,000 cases of the Covid-19 virus every week.
In turn, Don O’Connell of the US Department of Health said the pressure on hospitals is currently stronger in the northeastern states and in Washington state in the northwest of the country.
The two health officials recalled the existence of vaccines for two of the three viruses involved, with Jose Romero stressing that “vaccination is the best defense against influenza and Covid-19”.
There is still no vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, but the American group Pfizer announced this week the positive results for a clinical trial that could lead to the development of a vaccine in the coming years.
It is worth noting that childhood flu vaccination rates are still below the levels recorded before the outbreak.
This, and this phenomenon, has also been observed in other countries, including France, which is witnessing a widespread outbreak of bronchiolitis, and the most common cause of bronchiolitis is respiratory syncytial virus infection.
Symptoms can be similar between diseases, and although most patients recover within one to two weeks, young children and the elderly are at risk of developing severe symptoms.
