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Pediatric Collections: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
With multiple respiratory viruses placing a strain on health care systems, especially children’s hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an advisory that summarizes prevention and treatment measures.
The CDC is tracking levels of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus/enterovirus. Respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 are hitting the nation early and hard, especially among children.
Most regions are seeing an increase in RSV, with some already near seasonal peak levels usually observed in December or January. While activity seems to be plateauing in some places, the timing, intensity and severity of the current season remain uncertain.
RSV can cause a fever, cough, fatigue, stuffy nose, shortness of breath, sneezing, fast/short breaths, flaring nostrils, wheezing and grunting, poor feeding/no appetite, and head bobbing or chest caving in between and under ribs with each breath. Symptoms of RSV usually are worst on days 3 through 5 and last about 5 to 7 days. The infection causes a cold, which may be followed by bronchiolitis or pneumonia. RSV is common in late fall through early spring. In 2021, however, the pandemic caused a strange thing to happen. The number of RSV infections and hospital rates went up in summer 2021 instead. Nearly all children get RSV by their second birthday.

Mojan Azarmi, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine
January 29 2025
Research Article
Lauren Puckett, PharmD, BCIDP; Lauren E. Kushner, MD; Laura Bio, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP; Sean Cornell, BSc; Matthew Wood, PhD; Hayden T. Schwenk, MD, MPH
January 28 2025
Steve Schering, Staff Writer
December 14 2024
Rachel Y. Moon, MD, FAAP, Associate Editor, Digital Media, Pediatrics
December 04 2024
Articles
Mónica López-Lacort, MSc; Cintia Muñoz-Quiles, PhD; Ainara Mira-Iglesias, PhD; F. Xavier López-Labrador, PhD; María Garcés-Sánchez, MD, PhD; Begoña Escribano-López, MSc; Matilde Zornoza-Moreno, MD, PhD; Jaime Jesús Pérez-Martín, MD, MPH; Santiago Alfayate-Miguelez, MD; Antonio Iofrío-De Arce, MD; Eliseo Pastor-Villalba, MD; José Antonio Lluch-Rodrigo, MD; Javier Díez-Domingo, MD, PhD; Alejandro Orrico-Sánchez, PhD; on behalf of the MEDIPRIM network
December 02 2024
Articles
Sarah Hinderstein; Elena Aragona, MD; Jaspreet Loyal, MD, MS
November 26 2024
Commentaries
Sean T. O’Leary, MD, MPH
November 25 2024
Articles
David W. Hutton, PhD; Lisa A. Prosser, PhD; Angela M. Rose, MPH; Kerra Mercon, MS; Ismael R. Ortega-Sanchez, PhD; Andrew J. Leidner, PhD; Meredith L. McMorrow, MD; Katherine E. Fleming-Dutra, MD; Mila M. Prill, MSPH; Jamison Pike, PhD; Jefferson M. Jones, MD, MPH
November 25 2024
Articles
David W. Hutton, PhD; Lisa A. Prosser, PhD; Angela M. Rose, MPH; Kerra Mercon, MS; Ismael R. Ortega-Sanchez, PhD; Andrew J. Leidner, PhD; Meredith L. McMorrow, MD; Katherine E. Fleming-Dutra, MD; Mila M. Prill, MSPH; Jamison Pike, PhD; Jefferson M. Jones, MD
November 25 2024
Sean Stangland, Associate Editor
November 15 2024
Research Brief
Elena Aragona, MD; Veronika Shabanova, PhD; Jaspreet Loyal, MD, MS
November 15 2024
November 01 2024
October 31 2024
Melissa Jenco, Senior News Editor
October 23 2024
Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) Results in Higher RSV Neutralizing Antibody Levels Than Palivizumab (Synagis)
Rachel Y. Moon, MD, FAAP, Associate Editor, Digital Media, Pediatrics
October 01 2024
Articles
Deidre Wilkins, BSc; Ulrika Wählby Hamrén, PhD; Yue Chang, PhD; Lindsay E. Clegg, PhD; Joseph Domachowske, MD; Janet A. Englund, MD; William J. Muller, MD; Amanda Leach, MRCPCH; Elizabeth J. Kelly, PhD; Tonya Villafana, PhD, MPH
October 01 2024
Melissa Jenco, News Content Editor
September 26 2024
Melissa Jenco, News Content Editor
September 16 2024
Articles
Joseph Domachowske, MD; Ulrika Wählby Hamrén, PhD; Irfana Banu, M.Pharm; Roberta Baronio, MSc; Bhanu Basavaraju, MD; Anthonet Koen, MD; Amanda Leach, MRCPCH; Vaishali S. Mankad, MD; Pia S. Pannaraj, MD; Pere Soler-Palacin, MD; Therese Takas, BSc; Masaaki Mori, MD; Tonya Villafana, PhD; MUSIC Study Group
September 11 2024