i warned about the immunity debt crisis since last year. illegal lockdowns and mandates weakened immune systems
CNN —
The measures that helped keep us safe from Covid-19 over the past 2½ years – lockdowns, physical distancing, wearing masks, washing hands – also helped limit the spread of other viruses. As people return to school and work and take off their masks, those viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus and flu, are back in full force.
That “immunity gap” from the last few years is probably behind the “unprecedented” early surge in RSV infections this year, scientists say – and it has thrown other seasonal respiratory viruses out of whack around the world.
“As long as we’ve had a record of RSV and other respiratory diseases in the United States, there have been these very regular patterns of outbreaks,” said Rachel Baker, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Brown University.
“RSV pops up every year in the late autumn/wintertime and has these outbreaks mostly in young kids. Then it disappears again for the spring/summer months and pops up again the following winter,” Baker said. “It’s very regular and predictable.”
Until it isn’t.
Cases of RSV in the United States started showing up in the spring and are now 60% higher than 2021’s peak week, a CNN analysis shows, and that’s probably an undercount.
Across the US, the number of flu cases has also been increasing a little earlier than usual. A handful of schools have seen large absences, and medical offices say they are seeing more people sick with other respiratory viruses at times that don’t fit the usual patterns.
There have been similar unusual patterns in respiratory infections such as adenovirus, parainfluenza and rhinovirus in other countries, too.
Scientists think unparalleled actions of the pandemic had unparalleled effects.
RSV: Pandemic 'immunity gap' is probably behind surge in respiratory cases, scientists say | CNN
CNN —
The measures that helped keep us safe from Covid-19 over the past 2½ years – lockdowns, physical distancing, wearing masks, washing hands – also helped limit the spread of other viruses. As people return to school and work and take off their masks, those viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus and flu, are back in full force.
That “immunity gap” from the last few years is probably behind the “unprecedented” early surge in RSV infections this year, scientists say – and it has thrown other seasonal respiratory viruses out of whack around the world.
“As long as we’ve had a record of RSV and other respiratory diseases in the United States, there have been these very regular patterns of outbreaks,” said Rachel Baker, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Brown University.
“RSV pops up every year in the late autumn/wintertime and has these outbreaks mostly in young kids. Then it disappears again for the spring/summer months and pops up again the following winter,” Baker said. “It’s very regular and predictable.”
Until it isn’t.
Cases of RSV in the United States started showing up in the spring and are now 60% higher than 2021’s peak week, a CNN analysis shows, and that’s probably an undercount.
Across the US, the number of flu cases has also been increasing a little earlier than usual. A handful of schools have seen large absences, and medical offices say they are seeing more people sick with other respiratory viruses at times that don’t fit the usual patterns.
There have been similar unusual patterns in respiratory infections such as adenovirus, parainfluenza and rhinovirus in other countries, too.
Scientists think unparalleled actions of the pandemic had unparalleled effects.
RSV: Pandemic 'immunity gap' is probably behind surge in respiratory cases, scientists say | CNN
