3 minute read
but now, as people return to restaurants, stores and offices, the common cold is back in a major way. for most people, this is more annoying than anything else — but so many kids are getting sick that it could strain hospital resources, canadian doctors have said.
why colds are back
like so many other weird things going on right now, the pandemic is the main culprit.
“frequent exposure to various pathogens primes or jazzes up the immune system to be ready to respond to that pathogen,” dr. paul skolnik, an immunovirologist and chair of internal medicine at the virginia tech carilion school of medicine, told the new york times . “if you’ve not had those exposures, your immune system may be a little slower to respond or doesn’t respond as fully, leading to greater susceptibility to some respiratory infections and sometimes longer or more protracted symptoms.”
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dr. pascal lavoie of the b.c. children’s hospital told the canadian press , “there’s no weakening of the immune system from not being in contact with viruses.” it just means our systems are a little rusty. hence, higher levels of respiratory syncytial virus (rsv), a contagious infection of the respiratory tract that typically presents as a cold and that, in non-pandemic times, is extremely common, especially from november to january.
what that lack of immunity means for infants
lavoie was one of several medical experts at the b.c. children’s hospital who wrote a letter
published in the canadian medical association journal
warning of a likely spike in rsv cases in young children, who generally have more severe symptoms than adults. usually, kids are exposed to the virus during the first two years of their lives and are able to build up immunity. but because rsv infections were so rare over the last year and a half, young children who would normally be exposed , as well as babies born since the pandemic started, may not have successfully become immune.
“we have two whole birth cohorts that wouldn’t have been infected,” dr. lindy samson, chief of staff and chief medical officer at the children’s hospital of eastern ontario, told the ottawa citizen . she added that she’s been seeing a huge increase in the number of kids who came in for covid-19 tests. most didn’t have covid, but respiratory viruses similar to rsv.
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how to avoid a cold
the advice for
strengthening our immune systems
is all pretty standars, basic stuff: get enough exercise, eat nutritious foods, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much.
