Children Have Higher Hospitalizations From RSV Than Omicron or Influenza

A scientific study unveiled on December 26 concluded that significantly higher hospitalization rates are observed in children testing positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in emergency departments, as compared to those diagnosed with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 or influenza. To be specific, over 80 percent of RSV cases resulted in hospitalizations, while only about 30 percent of Omicron and influenza cases required hospitalization.

Dr. Lael Yonker, a pediatric pulmonologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, explained to The Epoch Times that infants are particularly susceptible to RSV related hospitalizations. In her experience, a similar trend is observed among her patients. She mentioned that while COVID primarily targets a limited number of receptors in children and infants, RSV affects a wide range of bodily receptors, which offers less protection against the virus. Also, she highlighted that the absence of humoral immunity, or antibody immunity, makes infants more prone to RSV compared to older children.

According to Dr. Joseph Varon, a pulmonary critical care specialist and professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine, respiratory viral infections are commonly seen in colder seasons. He noted that symptoms such as headaches, nasal congestion, cough, and general malaise are common among RSV, COVID and influenza, making it difficult to identify the specific cause without proper testing.

Hospitalization rates were especially high during 2022 and 2023, with a significant peak in 2022. Normally, the US experiences the RSV season during the fall and winters. But this pattern was disrupted due to wide-scale public health measures to curb COVID-19, resulting in the limited spread of RSV too, as per the CDC report.

In 2023, none of Dr. Varon's patients developed severe respiratory illnesses severe enough to necessitate hospitalization. But, as per Dr. Yonker, RSV can be treated in infants by using nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody. However, due to the rise in RSV hospitalizations, the supply of the drug has been scarce. Dr. Varon stated that post the COVID-19 outbreak, his clinic uses the RPP test to detect the exact virus causing respiratory illness in patients, where RSV, COVID, and influenza have been detected as the most common pathogens. According to him, such situations are typical every year, but there was no major panic in the past as minor viral infections were mostly diagnosed.