Prognosis
RSV Cases May Have Peaked in the US But the Flu Is Surging
- Flu now sending more children to hospital than in past decade
- CDC data show hospitalizations, positive RSV tests decreasing
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The flu is sending more children to the hospital in the US right now than it has in over a decade, just as an autumn spike in severe RSV cases is starting to recede.
Severe cases of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, have overloaded children’s hospitals the past few months. In early November, when cases surged, about 77% of the country’s pediatric hospital beds were filled with patients, according to an analysis of Health and Human Services Department data. The situation has eased a bit, but 73% of those beds remain occupied as other viruses tick up.