The CDC issued a warning to clinicians and caregivers on June 10 regarding an inter-seasonal increase in Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases in parts of the southern United States including Tennessee. What this means in plain English is that doctors are worried about RSV in the summer, a time in which respiratory diseases like these are normally less common. RSV can be associated with severe disease in young children and older adults, so it’s something that should be taken seriously. While doctors are concerned with treating RSV patients, you can also help control the spread by signing up for our RSV vaccine clinical study to advance the medical research needed for an authorized vaccine. There is currently no RSV vaccine approved in the United States.
What is RSV?
RSV is an RNA virus that can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children and adults. Each year, roughly 177,000 adults are hospitalized with RSV and 14,000 deaths among those 65 years and older. RSV typically occurs more often during the fall and winter, but cases decreased significantly last year, as many people took extra precautions to prevent COVID-19 that were also effective against RSV.
Should We Be Concerned with Rising RSV Cases?
In 2020, RSV cases were almost nonexistent. The same strategies that people used to prevent COVID-19 like mask wearing, social distancing, and increased handwashing worked against more common illnesses like the flu and RSV as well. However, the CDC has reported more RSV cases since March 2021 than usual for this time of year, as RSV is usually more prevalent in fall and winter months. It’s emergence this early in the year is “troubling,” pediatrician Marth F. Perry, MD told Medscape.com.
What You Can Do To Help:
The CDC recommends that everyone 6-years-old and up receive flu shots annually to protect against the flu for that season. Adults 60-years-old and up can also join our RSV vaccine clinical study to help protect themselves and others. The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately reinforced the importance of staying up to date with your vaccines to protect yourself and others, as well as the importance of clinical research in public health. You can do your part to help.
Read More: With No RSV Vaccine Available, Cases in Tennessee Adults on the Rise
Sign up for a clinical trial here.