WASHINGTON — After two winters spent masked and 6 feet apart, pediatric respiratory viruses have returned with a vengeance, and pediatric hospitals, emergency room doctors and pediatricians are lobbying Congress and the Biden administration to provide more support.
Pediatric hospitals deal with a wave of respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, every year. But this year, the wave of RSV is more like a tsunami, because COVID-19 mitigation measures have driven down immunity among many children. For most children, RSV is mild and does not require hospitalization, but it can be severe, especially in infants and toddlers. There is no vaccine.
“This is our March 2020. This truly is an overwhelming wave,” said Daniel Rauch, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Hospital Care, of the current surge of respiratory illnesses.
