British stone. Louis (KTVI) – The mask is falling off, and the winter-like respiratory virus seems to have lifted the blockade at the same time.

“Many of our emergency room visits include patients with common respiratory viruses that we only see in the winter,” said Dr. Kurt Sobush, a pulmonologist at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.

Cardinal Glennon found that winter-like viruses increased by 20%, including RSV in children under 2 years of age.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild cold-like symptoms and can become more severe, especially in infants and the elderly.

“This is a virus that can escalate from the common cold to include viruses that breathe faster,” Sobush said. “It will increase fever, and it will at least cause some difficulty in respiratory distress. Children’s cough may get worse, but it doesn’t seem to stop.”

RSV bacteria are usually spread by coughing and sneezing. The doctor said that the reason for the increase in RSV cases may be related to the wearing of masks and the decrease in social distance.

“I think at least in the summer, many people will blow off at least some of their noses-everywhere. It may be allergies, or it may be other reasons,” Sobush said. “But we have at least seen an upward trend in some of the severe respiratory viruses we have known in the past. I think this is just something we want our parents to treat with caution.”

Last week, the CDC releases health consultation Notify health care professionals and caregivers about the increase in RSV activity in parts of the southern United States. The agency urges RSV testing for people who show signs of acute respiratory disease and test negative for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).

RSV infections in the United States mainly occur during cold and flu seasons in the fall and winter. In April 2020, RSV activity declined rapidly, which may be due to coronavirus precautions. The CDC pointed out that from May 2020 to March 2021, RSV activity remained relatively low compared to previous years. However, since late March, the CDC has noticed an increase in reported RSV cases.

Sobush predicts that this fall, some parents will take their children to school regardless of whether the school needs them.

“I think that in some cases, children will still wear masks to school. I think this situation will continue for a while, especially when they have symptoms of the virus, otherwise they will only wear masks to school. A little bit of nose,” he Say.

As before the pandemic, doctors say that washing children’s hands is still important to slow or stop the spread of the virus.