Children are being infected with up to THREE viruses at a time because COVID measures have worn down their immune systems and made them vulnerable to illnesses usually only caught in winter, experts warn
Children are turning up in doctors’ clinics infected with as many as three different types of viruses, in what experts believe is the result of their immune systems being weakened from two years of COVID lockdowns and mask-wearing.
Medical staff have come to expect a surge in cases of flu and severe colds during the winter.
But they are reporting that there is not the usual downturn as summer approaches – and they suspect it could be due to the strict pandemic practices.
Furthermore, some of common strains of the flu appear to have disappeared, flummoxing scientists.
Thomas Murray, an infection-control expert and associate professor of pediatrics at Yale, told The Washington Post on Monday that his team was seeing children with combinations of seven common viruses – adenovirus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus, influenza and parainfluenza, as well as the coronavirus.
Some children were admitted with two viruses and a few with three, he said.
‘That’s not typical for any time of year and certainly not typical in May and June,’ he said.
CDC data obtained by DailyMail.com showed lower overall levels of influenza infections among young children – but an abnormal surge starting several weeks ago during the beginning of the summer months, normally a dead period for respiratory infections.
The influenza virus normally peters out in the warmer months (see red line, from 2019). In 2019, infections peaked in the 10th week of the year, in March. But this year (blue line), it has remained constant and not gone away, to the consternation of scientists.
Children aged 0-4 are seeing a surge in viral infections, which experts believe may be down to them not being exposed to the usual viral load – thanks to pandemic precautions.
Other strange patterns have emerged…
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