U.S. children's hospitals overwhelmed by RSV: NYT

Children are seen at the Waves of Flags at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, the United States, on Sept. 10, 2022. (Xinhua)

RSV is a common seasonal infection, and the vast majority of cases are very mild. But this year, the number of children falling ill -- and seriously ill -- is significantly greater than usual.

NEW YORK, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- A drastic and unusually early spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a respiratory infection that impedes airways, is overwhelming pediatric units across the United States, bringing long waits for treatment and prompting hospital systems to rearrange staffing and resources to meet the demand, reported The New York Times (NYT) on Tuesday.

"Every children's hospital that I'm aware of is absolutely swamped," said Coleen Cunningham, the pediatrician in chief at Children's Hospital of Orange County, a 334-bed facility in Southern California that is so full that children are being treated right in the emergency room as they wait for inpatient beds -- sometimes for more than 24 hours.

RSV is a common seasonal infection, and the vast majority of cases are very mild. But this year, the number of children falling ill -- and seriously ill -- is significantly greater than usual, according to the report.

"Doctors suspect that those who would ordinarily have been exposed to RSV over the last couple of years were insulated from it by social distancing measures and are now driving up the numbers," it said.

The onslaught of cases is coinciding with the seasonal burst of other respiratory viruses like rhinoviruses and influenza, plus the ongoing burden of COVID-19, it added.