Photo/Illutration The respiratory syncytial virus (Provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

A surge in cases of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can cause pneumonia or bronchitis in infants, has filled hospital beds to near capacity in the Tokyo area.

“This may be because people are having closer interactions since the severity of COVID-19 was downgraded to Category 5 (the same level as seasonal influenza), and measures such as mask wearing have been softened,” said Kensuke Shoji, a doctor at the department of infectious diseases at the National Center for Child Health and Development.

At 3,000 regularly monitoring medical institutions nationwide, an average of 2.64 RSV patients per institution was reported in the week through June 11, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The virus is usually prevalent from autumn to winter, but cases this year have been rising across the country since early spring.

The largest number was seen in Yamaguchi Prefecture, at 7.16 patients per institution, followed by Nara Prefecture at 5.15.

In the metropolitan area, Tokyo had 1.72 patients per institution, Chiba Prefecture had 2.64, Saitama Prefecture had 2.53 and Kanagawa Prefecture had 1.51.

All children up to 2 years old are believed to contract RSV. The symptoms are similar to those for the common cold, such as fevers and coughs, but infants who are infected with RSV for the first time tend to become seriously ill.

Children with underlying heart or lung diseases and babies born prematurely are especially susceptible to developing severe illnesses, such as pneumonia.

An RSV outbreak also occurred in summer 2021.

At the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, 35 people with the virus were hospitalized, which is the usual peak number of patients, as of June 20.

“We are in a situation like a revolving door, where new patients come in as soon as someone is discharged,” Shoji said.

In addition to RSV, more children are being treated for infections such as human metapneumovirus.

At the National Hospital Organization Saitama Hospital in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, the 40 beds in the children ward are proving insufficient, and sick children are now being admitted to parts of the adult ward.

RSV is transmitted through contact with or through droplets from an infected person. The virus can remain for several hours on things that a patient has touched, such as doorknobs.

“It is important to wash and sanitize hands and wipe affected areas with alcohol,” Shoji said.

(This article was written by Yuichiro Yoneda and Kazuya Goto.)

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