Cold-weather viruses showing up this summer

Colds and other viruses typically only seen during the winter months are emerging with force this summer, especially among young children, as the population unmasks and in-person activities resume.

Even as coronavirus cases begin to recede, doctors locally and across the United States are reporting a surge in viral infections cases this summer — an uncommon time of year for these viruses to be circulating.

“On June 1, I always joke we can celebrate the end of the cold season. There’s no end to the cold season this year,” said Dr. Scott Nau, a Mercy Medical Center pediatrician.

The comeback of ordinary viruses at an abnormal time is an expected outcome. Without face coverings, it’s easier for individuals to spread respiratory droplets to others.

But these infections seem to have a larger impact on young children, whose immune systems have not had the chance to fight off viruses since the pandemic kept people isolated at home.

Some local doctors say the upcoming influenza season could be nasty, especially with more individuals susceptible to fall ill this year.

“I think it’s going to be a bad flu year,” said Dr. Richard Hodge, a physician at UnityPoint Clinic-Urgent Care. “Hopefully, people will get their flu shots.”

Reprieve from colds

Isolation and masking in public meant the majority of Iowans had a reprieve from cold, flu and other common respiratory illnesses during the pandemic.

Just one child died from the flu in the United States in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Typically, federal health officials report between 150 to 200 such deaths.

Other viruses, such as rhinovirus, adenovirus and parainfluenza, seemed to withdraw locally. Nau said he didn’t see a single case of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, in the 15 months after March 2020.

"Within 10 days of the unmasking in mid-May, we began to see a relatively rapid increase in respiratory illness,“ Nau said.

The CDC issued an advisory this past month warning that it detected “an increased activity” of RSV since March across 10 Southern states. Infants, young children and older adults are most at risk for severe disease from RSV.

According to the CDC, these infections are the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under the age of 1. Approximately 58,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 deaths occur each year among affected children under the age of 5.

A similar trend showed up among adult patients this past year. While the uptick in respiratory infections is not alarming, Hodge said his clinic is seeing more adults dealing with sinus infections than they typically would in a summer.

“Immune systems are a year out of date, and more susceptible to certain things,” Hodge said. “It’s a function of folks being masked up for a year and not being out and about.”

Upcoming flu season

Flu activity during the 2020-21 season was historically low.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, five Iowans died as a result of flu during this past season — a sharp drop from the 2019-20 season, with 103 flu-related deaths in Iowa.

Nationally, about 22,000 Americans died during the 2019-20 flu season. The year before, deaths totaled approximately 34,000.

Both Hodge and Nau said they don’t recall seeing a single patient with influenza over the course of the pandemic.

Local doctors expect quite a few more flu cases in the upcoming season, especially without masking and with immune systems that haven’t been exposed to those germs for more than a year.

“I can guarantee if kids aren’t masked this year, we will see more flu than last year. Any number is bigger than zero,” Nau said.

To offset a potentially nasty season, Hodge recommended individuals get the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available this fall.

Individuals also should wash their hands frequently and stay home when they are sick or feel symptoms. Parents also should keep children home, if they’re able, when the children are sick.

Hodge said he is not recommending everyone don a face mask again this winter. However, if they are immunocompromised or if they have chronic health conditions that put them at risk, wearing a mask could be a good idea, he said.

“If you are going to be out and about and are concerned about being infected, there’s no harm in wearing masks,” he said.

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