Taoiseach expresses concerns about increase in RSV cases

"RSV has proved to be problematic this year"

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed concerns about the increase in RSV cases. He says the virus is a far greater concern for children's health than Covid-19. According to Newstalk, Micheál Martin said RSV is driving up admissions in Ireland's children's hospitals. “The real message from public health has been that RSV actually and non-COVID respiratory illnesses are more of a problem for children right now in respect of admissions to hospitals,” he said. He stressed that anyone who is "symptomatic in any way in terms of respiratory illnesses" should stay out of school. “The same issue has not applied to COVID in respect of children getting severely ill or going to hospital. "It is RSV and other issues that have proved to be more problematic this year," he added. There has been a 35% increase in children's hospital admissions this year. Head of Crumlin's ED, Dr. Carol Blackburn told the Irish Examiner, “Our attendances this year are up 35 percent on our attendances in the early winter of 2019. She added, "We are averaging over 150 children a day through our emergency department." Blackburn echoed Martin's concerns about the respiratory syncytial virus. “We have a big population of 0-year-olds, one-year-olds or two-year-olds who have never come across these viruses before, so they are getting them back to back, one after another.” RSV is a common cause of infection in infancy. Nearly all children will suffer from it before they are 2-years-old. It is usually mild and will clear within a week or two. Symptoms are similar to that of a common cold.

Click here for everything you need to know about RSV.