Children's hospitals grapple with a nationwide surge in RSV infections

Models of a protein from the respiratory syncytial virus are shown at The University of Texas at Austin on March 31, 2022. A spike in RSV cases among children is pushing some hospitals to capacity. (The Washington Post via Getty Images)

An unseasonably early spike in respiratory syncytial virus cases among young children is pushing some hospitals to capacity.

RSV, as it's called, is a respiratory virus that mostly manifests as a mild illness with cold-like symptoms in adults but can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis in very young children. It can be life-threatening in infants and young adults.