Older adults are catching RSV at higher rates higher than normal.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says about six out of every 100,000 seniors have been hospitalized with RSV.
That’s about 10-times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
While there is generally an uptick in RSV cases in the fall, the CDC said cases typically peak from late December through mid-February.
Adults at risk for the most severe outcomes are 65 and older, health officials say.
The CDC says people with RSV are usually contagious for three to eight days.
The virus can spread through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread via contact with surfaces.
Doctors recommend that people wash their hands often to avoid catching the virus.
The CDC notes hospitals are also experiencing a surge in young children catching the virus. Many health professionals point to isolation during the pandemic as the reason behind the current surge.
"We accrued a bunch of kids who were less exposed to viruses, and there you have a recipe for all of these viruses to come back and are spreading among kids at a strange time of year like wildfire," said Dr. Jack Maypole, a pediatrician at Boston Medical Center.
