Dangerous respiratory virus sparks unprecedented response across the US... now alarming new map reveals exactly who is at risk

Key Points:

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is spreading nationwide later than usual, with 7.5% of tests positive compared to 5% last year, prompting multiple states to extend immunization periods through April 30.
• The CDC's wastewater surveillance shows moderate to high RSV activity in half the country, especially in the Midwest and northern Plains, while the South, Southwest, and West Coast have mostly low levels.
• RSV remains most severe in infants under eight months, causing hospitalizations and complications like bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with CDC estimates of 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations and 100 to 300 deaths in children under five annually.
• Nearly all states have extended RSV immunization recommendations, allowing continued use of monoclonal antibody shots for vulnerable infants, while vaccination rates among older adults remain low despite their high risk of severe RSV complications.
• Health experts note that although emergency visits and hospitalizations are starting to decline, RSV activity is persisting longer than usual this season, driving more hospitalizations than influenza or COVID-19 in some states.