Cases of respiratory viruses in children are rising across the country earlier than usual this year, putting a strain on doctors and hospitals.
At Rady Children's they've seen at least 300 cases of RSV in just the last two weeks.
Dr. Alice Pong says it's an illness hitting the very young the hardest.
"Most of the kids who are going to be significantly ill from RSV are babies under a year of age," said Dr. Pong.
Pong tells ABC 10News that RSV cases are something they treat every year but what's different this year is the early surge, a trend they don't typically see till January or February.
"This is unusual that we've seen it during the summer and now in October we're seeing this large surge," said Pong.
RSV symptoms include:
- Fever
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Change or loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Difficulty breathing
"There's no specific medication for RSV, there's no antiviral drug, it's mostly supportive care. Helping them with their breathing, giving them oxygen," explained Pong.
She says there's no clear cause as to why it's happening, but does point out that many of the Covid precautions we've used over the last few years can also help prevent the spread of other illnesses.
In addition to RSV, flu is also spreading in the county.
According to the San Diego County Health Department, more than 1,600 San Diegans have been diagnosed with a lab-confirmed case of influenza.
The 1,664 cases reported to the county since July 1 of this year, are more than seven times higher than the 217 cases reported at the same time last year during the 2021-22 flu season.
