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Flu cases on the rise, RSV infections may be peaking, US health officials say

By Mike Stobbe
Published  December 1, 2023 2:57pm EST
Health
Associated Press

What is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)?

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms.

NEW YORK - Flu is picking up steam while RSV lung infections that can hit kids and older people hard may be peaking, U.S. health officials said Friday.

COVID-19, though, continues to cause the most hospitalizations and deaths among respiratory illnesses — about 15,000 hospitalizations and about 1,000 deaths every week, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency is also looking into reports of pneumonia outbreaks in children in two states, but Cohen said "there is no evidence" that they are due to anything unusual.

As for the flu season, seven states were reporting high levels of flu-like illnesses in early November. In a new CDC report on Friday, the agency said the tally was up to 11 states — mostly in the South and Southwest.

In the last month, RSV infections rose sharply in some parts of the country, nearly filling hospital emergency departments in Georgia, Texas and some other states. But "we think we’re near the peak of RSV season or will be in the next week or so," Cohen said.

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FILE - A pharmacist administers a free flu shot vaccine to a customer at a CVS Health Corp. Pharmacy in Miami, Florida. (Marco Bello/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus is a common cause of mild coldlike symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.

Cohen was asked about pneumonia cases in children reported in Massachusetts and in Warren County, Ohio, near Cincinnati. There are a number of possible causes of the lung infection, and it can be a complication of COVID-19, flu, or RSV.

In Ohio, health officials have reported 145 cases since August and most of the children recovered at home. The illnesses were caused by a variety of common viruses and bacteria, officials said.

China recently had a surge in respiratory illnesses which health officials there attributed to the flu and other customary causes.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.