A six-year-old boy in Macomb County, Georgia, has died as a result of an RSV infection at a time when hospitals are “overwhelmed” by cases.
The boy is the first in the state to die from the respiratory infection this year.
The child died on Wednesday, the same day that the Oakland County Health Department in Michigan asked anyone experiencing cold symptoms to limit their contact around children, particularly those who are immunocompromised.
Respiratory syncytial virus can affect anyone, but tends to be most prevalent in young children. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, most children will develop an RSV infection sometime before they turn two years old, and cases are normally mild with symptoms similar to the common cold.
However, hospitals are reporting "unprecedented" numbers RSV cases in children. Federal data suggests that approximately 75 per cent of the available pediatric beds in the US are currently in use, though that data does not track what ailment resulted in the bed being filled.
Fox 2 Detroit spoke to Oakland County Medical Director Dr Russel Faust about the rise in cases in the state.
"RSV is affecting our youngest, more vulnerable residents," he told the outlet. "We are concerned about RSV, flu, and Covid-19 all being widespread as we move into the winter. Get your Covid and flu vaccines when eligible and wash your hands often."
The infection can be spread through droplets emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes, through contaminated surfaces, or through direct contact with an infected individual, which is why doctors emphasise hand washing as a preventative measure.
Symptoms of RSV are similar to the common cold, including runny nose, a decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing, according to the CDC.
The CDC noted that RSV cases are peaking earlier this year, which is resulting in more children winding up in hospital pediatric wards.
Health experts believe the Covid-19 pandemic may be behind the spike in cases. Children are generally exposed to RSV when they’re very young, but due to the lockdown keeping people largely indoors for more than a year children who would have caught the virus are now being exposed and becoming infected at an older age.
While most RSV patients tend to be children, adults — particularly the elderly and the immunocompromised — can also suffer severe symptoms of the infection.
There is no current vaccine for RSV, though Pfizer is working to develop one and hopes to submit it for FDA approval sometime this year.
