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Kelly MD's avatar

Thank you so much for your insights. I look forward to your posts on Twitter. I have been fascinated by the shifts in viruses as well. I’m a pediatrician in southeastern United States. We experienced a huge wave during delta which was very scary because the adult beds were being taken up by delta and the ped’s beds by rsv.

I am more inclined to credit viral interference for the shift of the viruses:

1) the drop off in all other viruses happened prior to wide spread masking or social distancing. Excellent article by Dr. Christopher Harrison, infectious disease at UMKC (Kansas City, MO) which demonstrated every virus falling off early March except rhinovirus which he called the cockroach of viruses. 😂

2) most transmissions happen in the home setting. Therefore, the weather only plays a role via humidity and not personal behavior. Also, I’m in the south and we are a slovenly group who stays inside most of the time anyway!

This study has fascinated me because it is a retrospective study looking at how viruses interact and how they can shift the spread of other viruses. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34968374/

I’m also personally doing a study of rsv/Covid in the outpatient setting. I’m looking at rapid antigen testing of those tested for rsv and Covid. So far, none are “co-infected.” I think the hospital numbers showing coinfection are skewed because they are often pcr. This may pick up an infection as far back as 6 weeks prior and doesn’t represent which is the cause of their hospitalization.

Thank you again for your work and your reasoned response during the pandemic.

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Jock Miller's avatar

Thank you! Fingers crossed for next winter’s flu season. I imagine the NHS is doing the same!

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