Nemours seeing spike in RSV cases as delta variant continues, flu season approaches

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — One out of five pediatric patients at Nemours Children’s Primary Care is testing positive for the coronavirus, fueled by summer’s explosion of the delta variant.

“It mirrors the worst of January, it really is a little higher,” said hospital division chief Tom Lacy, who oversees those 19 locations across the region.

He said the spread of COVID-19 is just one concern. The system is still seeing an unusual spike in ER visits for children with the respiratory syncytial virus, which showed up months later as mask mandates lifted.

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The leading cause of hospitalizations for infants, RSV can become serious for the very young and very old.

Compounding the contagion of both RSV and the delta variant is the fact that flu season is just weeks away.

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“We don’t know if it’s going to end or if it’s going to merge right into flu season, and we’re going to be dealing with RSV, flu and COVID all this winter, that’s what our worry is,” Lacy said.

There’s no vaccine for RSV and no COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12. However, Lacy anticipates that the age limit for the vaccine will begin to lower this fall.

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Video: COVID-19 outbreaks reported at 40 Orange County long-term care facilities While COVID-19 has been under control in Florida’s long-term care facilities for nearly eight months since vaccinations started, many are now seeing a spike. (Lauren Seabrook, WFTV.com)

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