As RSV Cases Surge, Experts Warn of America’s Worsening ‘Tripledemic’
Mother JonesNov 27, 2022
Children's hospitals across the US are reportedly seeing a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases that are straining their capacity, with some building overflow tents to house more beds.
Hospitalizations for respiratory viruses like RSV and influenza are surging across the country, with children under five — especially newborns and infants — the most at risk. The surge comes amid a nationwide shortage of antivirals and antibiotics.
RSV is particularly dangerous for the most vulnerable young Americans, which is why officials have sounded the alarm on this surge in cases. With children and teachers calling out sick from school and hospitalizations on the rise, it's essential to follow the steps learned during the pandemic: isolating, masking, and vaccinating.
The "tripledemic" is the public health establishment's newest slogan to scare Americans. This, of course, is to encourage people to get vaccinated for other respiratory illnesses like COVID, which is virtually no risk to children. Lockdowns, not the unvaccinated, are what delayed children's natural contact with viruses like RSV, which is why a surge in cases is occurring at an abnormal rate.
There's a 50% chance that a universal flu vaccine will be available by December 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.