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New RSV article accepted by The Journal of Pediatrics

Ms. Mina Suhalong with colleagues within EpidStrategies (a Division of ToxStrategies), and external collaborators, has been conducting research on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), especially as it relates to infants and children in the United States. In a prospective viral surveillance study, which was recently accepted for publication by the Journal of Pediatrics (preview here), Ms. Suh and researchers from the medical research community described common respiratory infections, including influenza, RSVand rhinovirus/enterovirus, in infants from December 2019 through April 2020, across outpatient, emergency department, and inpatient settings in Davidson County, Tennessee. Testing for SARS-Cov-2 was added with the onset of Covid-19. Results show that RSV is detected across various clinical settings (outpatient, emergency department, inpatient) and has the highest disease severity compared to other viral pathogens.  The authors conclude that continued surveillance of infants, in different clinical settings, is needed to fully assess the burden exerted by RSV, and importantly, to inform vaccine development.