Rising Tide of Respiratory Sickness Caused by RSV
Apparently, Germany is grappling with an increase in respiratory illnesses linked to RSV, as per the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The RKI's report on weekly acute respiratory diseases, published last Wednesday, indicates that the RSV-related wave started retroactively during the week commencing November 20.
Children under 2 years old appear to be the most affected, as stated by the RKI. Besides, ongoing corona infections and rhinovirus-induced colds are playing a significant role in Germany, with approximately 24,000 Covid infections confirmed by PCR test last week, marginally higher compared to a week before. However, a full-blown flu epidemic hasn't surfaced yet, although influenza lab-confirmed cases are showing a slight upswing.
The overall proportion of acute respiratory illnesses in the population remains relatively elevated when compared to previous years. As per the RKI, close to 8,500 cases of acute respiratory illnesses are estimated to occur per 100,000 inhabitants, a slight decrease compared to the previous week. Contrastingly, the figure was over 10,000 a year ago.
Further Reading:
As per the RKI's assessment, children under 2 face a high risk of hospitalization due to this RSV-related respiratory disease wave. This wave, which began in Germany during November 20, has contributed to a rise in acute respiratory diseases, despite a slight fall compared to the previous week.
Insights:
- Infants under 6 months old constitute around 40% of all RSV-related hospitalizations globally, with most occurring within the first 3 months of life.
- New monoclonal antibody prevention medications and maternal vaccines are being developed to mitigate the risk of severe RSV infection in infants.
- The UK has launched the first-ever national RSV vaccination program targeting infants and pregnant women, which could further reduce hospital admissions.
