There is an increase in RSV ‘walking pneumonia’ in some hospitals. Here’s what you need to know

Some hospitals in the U.S. are seeing an increase in RSV and higher levels of “walking pneumonia” among young children, even as overall respiratory disease activity remains low nationwide.

Cook Children’s Medical Centers in Texas reported a “drastic increase” in the number of children visiting the emergency room for respiratory illnesses.

On Tuesday, at the health system’s Fort Worth location alone, there were 572 patients in the emergency room (a near-record number). The increase in hospital visits is due to the spread of RSV and walking pneumonia in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, officials said.

Additionally, University of North Carolina hospitals reported 40 cases of walking pneumonia in the last week of October, compared to none during the same period last year.

Infectious disease experts say parents should be careful about the spread of respiratory diseases, but this season may also signal a return to typical seasons seen before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Dr. D., professor of medicine and infectious diseases expert at the University of California, San Francisco. “It’s the calm before the storm,” Peter Chin-Hong told ABC News. “It’s like there’s so much going on…we almost forget about respiratory viruses, but they’re so regular. They’re kind of getting back to the normal pace before the pandemic.”

Walking pneumonia with cyclical increase

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “walking pneumonia” is a respiratory bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae).

The CDC said infections are usually mild, and people with lung infections may appear better than expected, hence the term walking pneumonia. However, sometimes serious complications that require hospitalization can occur.

In the week ending November 2, the most recent date for which CDC data is available, 2.8% of all pneumonia-related emergency department visits led to a diagnosis of M. pneumoniae; this rate was only 2% at the end of September.

Rates were highest among people 1 year of age and younger, accounting for 7.8% of all pneumonia-related emergency department visits diagnosed with M. pneumoniae in the week ending Nov. 2.

Experts say mycoplasma infections have a cyclical nature and tend to increase every three to seven years.

“Just like other respiratory viruses, there hasn’t been a lot of exposure during the pandemic years because of social distancing and people staying away from each other, and that’s what we’re catching,” Chin-Hong said. “Mycoplasma can also be one of those situations where you kind of see the perfect storm. So every four or five years it reemerges and people go back to their normal lives.”

RSV activity returns to pre-pandemic levels

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that affects most children by their second birthday, according to the CDC.

Although it typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms and most people recover within one to two weeks, it can be a serious infection for infants and older adults and may require hospitalization, the CDC said.

Current levels remain below levels seen simultaneously over the past few seasons.

Dr. D., epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s. “It’s important to remember that while RSV activity is increasing in certain regions, particularly among young children, we are seeing a return to more typical pre-pandemic patterns,” John Brownstein said. Hospital and ABC News contributor.

“This year’s season is starting later and progressing more slowly than the past few years, which have seen earlier and more severe outbreaks,” he added.

Brownstein noted that while national levels remain low, some areas in the southern U.S. and eastern U.S. are seeing local increases, especially among young children.

When to go to the emergency room

If symptoms are mild, such as low-grade fever, dry cough, sore throat, headache and minor aches, parents can keep their children at home and contact their primary care provider with any questions, Chin-Hong said.

However, when symptoms become more severe, such as difficulty breathing, prolonged fever, or lethargy, it may be time to go to the emergency room.

“If you have a child who has had a cough for more than seven days and maybe you can’t get over it, then you’re worried about something like walking pneumonia,” Chin-Hong said.

How to prevent RSV and walking pneumonia?

There are three vaccines approved to prevent RSV for adults ages 60 and older, as well as some high-risk adults ages 50 to 59. A vaccine is also available for pregnant women between the 32nd and 36th weeks of pregnancy.

Two monoclonal antibody products are available for babies younger than eight months. Monoclonal antibodies are lab-grown proteins that mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection.

“For walking pneumonia or mycoplasma, there’s no vaccine for that, but by getting the RSV, COVID (and) flu vaccine, you reduce the likelihood of co-infections that can make things worse,” Chin-Hong said.

Experts also recommended applying lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as wearing masks in areas with poor ventilation.

“Good hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing and covering hands when coughing and sneezing, are vital in preventing the spread of respiratory infections,” Brownstein said.