Especially many children with respiratory diseases

“It is a respiratory disease that can be particularly dangerous for children under one year old,” explains Herbert Kurz, head of pediatrics at the Vienna-Donaustadt Clinic. While adults usually have cold symptoms for a few days, babies and small children are often hospitalized. “As a result, the children’s beds in hospitals all over Vienna are extremely crowded,” says the pediatrician.

For example, in the Donaustadt clinic, of the 32 beds usually available for children with infectious diseases, 27 beds are occupied by infants with RS viruses. “Currently, the beds for the little ones have to be cleared, it’s a daily juggling,” explains the doctor. A similar picture emerges in Europe and North America.

Recognize symptoms early
“The RS viruses usually appear in the cold season. However, measures against the corona pandemic have changed the pattern of occurrence of other viruses. While the RSV wave failed completely in the first year of the pandemic, in 2021 it came earlier than usual in September, and this year there is an exceptionally strong wave,” explains Kurz. It is therefore important to recognize the first symptoms, the doctor stressed. “These are severe colds with glassy, ​​translucent runny nose and cough. These children often have no or no high fever. A warning sign is more likely if they have trouble drinking or breathing,” Kurz explained. The children must then immediately go to the pediatrician or to the outpatient clinic.

The younger the children – babies are most at risk in the first weeks and months – the more serious the course can be. The doctor advises not to get together with many people and to avoid crowds as much as possible. “Adults and children from six months must now also be vaccinated against the real flu. A joint occurrence of RS viruses and flu would place an additional burden on affected children and children’s wards,” Kurz warned.

Call for flu vaccination
There are already more flu infections in Austria than in the past two years. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is therefore calling for flu vaccinations. Wearing a mask also helps against infections. A reintroduction of the general mask obligation – the number of corona cases is also increasing again – is not in sight. “We actually save them – for worse situations,” said public health director Katharina Reich in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” on Tuesday.

Take a Corona refresher course!
The Austrians are now tired of the vaccinations. New vaccination campaigns should be turning heads now, Reich said. In any case, it is important to complete the basic vaccination of the corona vaccination – so three vaccinations. At the moment it also makes sense not to wait half a year with a refresher course. Around Christmas you also meet “vulnerable people, that is to say you don’t want to be sick, and I think it’s a good idea not to wait this six months for this intense Christmas period, but to go earlier and take the adapted vaccine for a booster,” Reich said.

Another corona booster vaccination – so a fifth sting – is currently only recommended for older and frail people. How often a booster vaccination will be necessary is currently being discussed with the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Reich expects it to need to be renewed once a year – similar to the flu. She also emphasized that flu and corona vaccinations can be administered simultaneously without any problems.