According to AFP, the United States is now dealing with a simultaneous epidemic of three respiratory viruses in an epidemic season that began particularly early and is putting the country’s hospitals to the test.

“We suspect that many children are now exposed for the first time to certain respiratory viruses because they avoided them during the pandemic,” thanks to the measures taken at the time (masks, isolation, etc.), Jose Romero, of the Center, explained on Friday National Department of Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

This phenomenon has also been observed in other parts of the world, including France, which is experiencing a large epidemic of bronchiolitis. The most common cause of bronchiolitis is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

Symptoms can be similar from one illness to another, and although most patients recover within a week or two, certain segments of the population, such as young children or the elderly, are at risk of developing severe cases.

The surveillance system for visits to emergency rooms and outpatient hospitals with cold-like symptoms (fever, sore throat…) records “high activity in the United States for this time of year,” Jose Romero said at a news conference.

“We’re seeing the highest level of flu-related hospitalizations in a decade,” he added. Two children died.

If a child has breathing problems, muscle pain or dehydration (dry lips…), it is important to take him to a doctor, he emphasized.

Experts say that it is difficult to say yet whether the flu virus circulating this year is causing the disease to worsen, but the epidemic season has started particularly early.

And in the USA, more than 270,000 cases of Covid-19 are still registered per week.

The pressure on hospitals is greatest right now in the northeastern states and northwestern Washington state, said Dawn O’Connell of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Vaccines are available against two of the three viruses, health officials said. “Vaccination is the best protection against the flu and Covid-19,” Romero said.

But influenza vaccination rates among children remain below pre-pandemic levels.

A vaccine against RSV is not yet available, but the US company Pfizer this week announced positive results from clinical trials, giving hope for years to come.

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