– We believe this is a pandemic effect – VG

Four of them are so bad that they need breathing assistance, clinic director Ansgar Berg informs VG.

He tells VG that it is special that these cases come so early in the season.

– It is completely abnormal, we usually see this from December, says Berg.

– We believe this is a pandemic effect. Strict infection control has meant that we have had few serious infections with other viruses. This means that more children lack an immune system against common cold viruses, says the clinic director.

Outbreak of RS virus: You should look for these symptoms

St. Olav’s hospital in Trondheim announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have five patients with RS virus admitted. At Stavanger University Hospital, the number is seven patients.

On Tuesday, VG wrote that the pediatric clinic at Oslo University Hospital (OUS) had around 20 sick young children hospitalized. At the same time, the University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) confirmed that they have begun to receive a number of RS patients.

RS virus is an abbreviation for respiratory syncytial virus, and is a virus that in most species manifests itself as a cold, but which can lead to severe respiratory infection in children.

The virus is in circulation every winter, but usually the peak of infection comes in December to January. This year, the National Institute of Public Health announced at the beginning of October that there was an increase in the number of detected cases of infection.

In week 41, 532 children aged 0-4 years were diagnosed with RS virus in Norway, according to The National Institute of Public Health’s influenza monitoring. Among older children and adults, the number was 219.

The week before, the number was 339 aged 0–4 years, and 131 for older children and adults.

The case is being updated

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