In many European countries, more and more children with acute bronchiolitis are admitted to hospitals. This is caused by infections with the respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RS virus or RSV. At the same time, flu and coronaviruses are circulating. The EU’s health protection authority warned on Monday of significant pressure on health systems.
That will happen in the coming weeks and months, representatives from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Monday. They referred to a risk assessment by the Stockholm authority. Although infections with the RS virus are not uncommon, they are more frequent and earlier this year than in the years before the corona pandemic. Children are disproportionately affected this time.
Lack of beds in Germany
In many hospitals in Germany, there has been a shortage of beds in children’s and youth wards for weeks because so many young patients with a flu or RS virus infection have to be admitted.
According to ECDC director Andrea Ammon, the risk of infection increases during the Christmas period, for example due to meetings, shopping and travel. She therefore called on governments to strengthen their health systems and prioritize vaccination against flu and Covid-19 in high-risk groups.
Supply bottlenecks for medicines
In Austria, there are bottlenecks in the supply of certain medicines due to the current wave of flu and colds. The Federal Bureau for Safety in Health Care (BASG) maintains a daily list of medicines that are not available. Supply bottlenecks were the order of the day during this time, but globalization exacerbated dependencies, said Apothekerkammer spokesman Wolfgang Müller. Many medicines are made in one location in Asia. However, Müller assures that there are many ways to avoid current bottlenecks. For example, in consultation with the prescribing doctor, medication with the same active ingredient could be provided. Pharmacists spent up to two hours a day searching for out-of-stock medications or needing to find replacements.
According to ECDC, infections with the RS virus mainly affect children under five and people over 65 years of age. In children, they are the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections. Bronchiolitis is one of the diseases that this virus can cause. The lower respiratory tract is affected. Symptoms include a runny nose, fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Source: Krone
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