Respiratory Illnesses Persist in Northern California
As summer approaches, you’d think cold and flu season would be fading, but recent wastewater data reveals that respiratory illnesses still have a firm grip on Northern California.
According to WastewaterSCAN, which analyzes various viruses in municipal wastewater across the country, RSV is moderately prevalent in areas like San Jose, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, as well as parts of southern San Francisco, Napa, Sacramento, and Davis. Interestingly, the highest levels of RSV are noted in western San Francisco and sections of Marin, like Corte Madera and Novato.
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants. Typically, RSV appears in the fall and peaks during winter, as explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The California Department of Public Health notes its peak season runs from October to March. The virus manifests cold-like symptoms—think fever, runny nose, and cough—spreading easily through sneezes or close contact. It’s particularly notorious for lingering on hard surfaces and in the air, making it highly contagious. While most people recover without any special treatment, vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly, and those with certain health conditions might face severe symptoms, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
The ongoing presence of RSV may not catch health experts off guard. Some believe California may be facing a post-COVID issue known as “immunity debt.” This idea suggests that, during lockdowns, many people missed exposure to common illnesses, contributing to a resurgence of these ailments now.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, remarked that due to a quieter COVID-19 season, other viruses like influenza and human metapneumovirus—another respiratory ailment—are now having their turn. “There’s no season anymore,” she pointed out, noting how noticeable these shifts have been since the pandemic began. Traditionally, we could count on seasonal waves of respiratory viruses, but since March 2021, “offseason RSV waves” have emerged. It’s still a bit of a mystery why Northern California appears to be facing more viral illnesses compared to Southern California, but Gandhi speculates that it might relate to more extensive wastewater surveillance in the region.
“We’re so off,” Gandhi added, mentioning the irregularity in seasonal illness patterns that are likely to continue for some time. To combat the spread of RSV, the California Department of Public Health suggests that eligible individuals, including older adults, infants, and those who are pregnant, get the RSV vaccine. For further details, more information is available on the department’s website.
