
In this June 2021 photo provided by LaRanda St. John, her 6-week-old son, Beau, lies in a hospital bed at the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Matoon, Ill. Beau developed a bad cough after his dedication ceremony at church. St. John, who has a medical background, suspected respiratory syncytial virus when she opened his sleeper and saw his chest heaving with labored breathing.
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be serious for infants and the elderly. Cases dropped dramatically last year, with people staying home and social distancing, but began cropping up as pandemic restrictions eased.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Dr. Kate Dutkiewicz, medical director at Beacon Children's Hospital in South Bend, Indiana, said after treating two RSV-infected infants recently. Both needed oxygen treatment to help with breathing. ''I've never seen cases in July, or close to July.''














Comment: New Zealand has also just reported a spike in RSV cases, with the most likely cause considered to be the harsh lockdown restrictions and their impact on natural viral transmission as well as overall health: Children in New Zealand falling ill after harsh lockdowns weaken immune systems
And check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: The Terrible Toll of Lockdowns