Since the beginning of October, 696 people have been hospitalized with RSV
A trio of viruses are developing, leading some experts to warn of a triple outbreak of Covid-19, influenza and the much lesser-known respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The Ministry of Health said on Thursday that in the past week the number of patients hospitalized with RSV has jumped 31%. Since the beginning of October, 696 people have been hospitalized with RSV, including 229 last week.
Usually, hospitals can easily handle the flow of severe RSV cases, however, there is currently a sudden spike, which comes at a time when hospitals are also dealing with two other major respiratory illnesses, Covid and influenza. It’s unclear exactly why RSV is peaking today, when it was down during the height of the Covid pandemic. Some doctors believe, however, that wearing a mask has lowered our exposure to viruses, thereby lowering our level of immunity.
Science supports the theory that masks may have kept RSV at bay which spreads in the same way as Covid. By the time symptoms appear, people may have been contagious for one or two days. They normally remain contagious for three to eight days, or even longer in some cases.
The World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control have also just highlighted the threat of RSV alongside Covid and influenza.
