U.S. hospitals ‘overwhelmed’ with young RSV patients; is Canada seeing the same trend? – CTV
Oct. 25, 2022
As U.S. pediatric hospitals report being “overwhelmed” with respiratory syncytial virus patients, cases are also on the rise in Canada.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common and contagious respiratory virus that often affects young children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, “virtually all children get an RSV infection by the time they are 2 years old.”
The virus mostly causes mild cold-like symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, coughing and fever, but it can lead to more serious illness such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which is the inflammation of small airways in the lungs. Children under six months and those with pre-existing conditions like asthma and congestive heart failure are among those most at-risk for severe complications, which can require hospitalization.
