Why are common cold cases spiking right now? Doctors break down the 'very contagious' rhinovirus
During the height of the pandemic, COVID-19 restrictions caused a drop in cases of other respiratory viruses, like rhinovirus. But now, it seems, rhinovirus is back in a big way.
The virus, which typically causes the common cold, is behind a large wave of illnesses in Los Angeles County, where data show that at least 30% of positive respiratory virus tests have come back for rhinovirus and its sister illness enterovirus over the past few weeks. That's a massive increase over the next-closest illness, parainfluenza (a respiratory illness commonly in infants and children that's different from influenza), which has turned up in a little over 5% of positive respiratory virus tests.
Rhinovirus also came up in a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week, which noted that cases of the virus (along with enterovirus) jumped up this summer — even though rhinovirus usually peaks in the spring and fall.
Add that to news that hospitals are filling up with kids infected with illnesses that typically increase in the winter — including, yep, rhinovirus — and it's understandable to have questions. But what is rhinovirus and why is this spike happening now? Here's what you need to know.
What is rhinovirus?
Rhinovirus is the most common cause of the common cold, according to the CDC. Rhinoviruses can also trigger asthma attacks and have been linked to sinus and ear infections, per the CDC.
The viruses can cause some sore throats, ear infections and sinus infections, along with pneumonia and bronchiolitis, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says.
Rhinoviruses spread easily — they can be passed along when the virus gets on an object that another person touches and then touches their own eyes, nose or mouth, the AAP says. People can also inhale the virus after an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Rhinovirus symptoms
According to the CDC, symptoms of rhinovirus typically include:
sore throat
runny nose
coughing
sneezing
headaches
body aches
In kids, the virus may also cause a mild fever and a mild decrease in appetite, according to the AAP. People with rhinoviruses usually get better within seven to 10 days.
Why is this spike in cases happening now?
A lot has to do with people interacting more than they did last year, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. "Kids are back in school, and everybody is close to each other again, spreading viruses that we haven't spread very much for the past two years," Schaffner says. "These viruses are taking the opportunity to spread among children who hadn't experienced them in the past, due to the pandemic."
Social distancing and mask-wearing "certainly influenced how little rhinovirus we saw during the pandemic," Dr. Rosemary Olivero, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital at Michigan University, tells Yahoo Life. But, she adds, "that comes with a flip side: Many of us may have lost our short-lived immunity to rhinovirus, which may be contributing to seeing even more of this virus this year."
But rhinovirus is also "very contagious" and, as a result is "spreading fast," Dr. Danelle Fisher, pediatrician and chair of pediatrics at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., tells Yahoo Life. "Some kids get the common cold from it, and some get much sicker — it can be really bad," she adds.
Fisher says she's having conversations about rhinovirus with patients' parents "multiple times a day." She continues, "These viruses are stronger than they have been in years."
What does this mean for cold and flu season?
It could be intense. "I do think this could be a bad season, primarily because the world has pulled back all COVID-19 mitigation measures at this point," Dr. Shengyi Mao, an internist and pediatrician at the Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life. "Mask-wearing and social distancing helped not only with spread of COVID-19, but also other respiratory viruses, so I suspect more individuals will get respiratory viruses."
Severe illnesses and hospitalizations are expected to follow, Mao says. "It’s a numbers game," she explains. "The more people who get sick also means the more people will become severely ill."
How to protect yourself
Again, rhinoviruses are highly contagious, and it can be difficult to avoid them entirely. But you can lower the risk that you or family members will become ill.
That includes practicing "tried-and-true" methods of avoiding illness, such as using good hand hygiene and avoiding people who are sick, Olivero says.
There's also this to consider: While there's no vaccine to prevent rhinovirus, there are vaccines to prevent other respiratory illnesses. "It is paramount that we vaccinate ourselves against those viruses where a vaccine is available: COVID-19 and influenza, which will keep hundreds of thousands of Americans out of the hospital and reduce disease severity overall," Olivero says.
If you or your child becomes infected with rhinovirus, Fisher points out that, unfortunately, there is "no cure — you just have to suffer through it." However, the CDC says that lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids can help. Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and cold medications can help you feel better, but they won't make your illness go away any faster.
"Rhinoviruses and other respiratory viruses are back," Schaffner says. "Be aware."
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