'No season anymore': Viruses are running amok in Northern California

"RSV has a moderate presence in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, the southeastern portion of San Francisco, Napa, Sacramento and Davis; meanwhile, its levels are highest in the western section of San Francisco and parts of Marin, including Corte Madera and Novato."

"RSV is a respiratory illness that normally starts in the fall and peaks in the winter, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the California Department of Public Health, it's typically most prevalent from October through March. The virus causes cold-like symptoms, including fever, runny nose and cough, spreading when an infected person sneezes or remains in close contact with other people."

"Because it's able to stay on hard surfaces for several hours and spread through the air, the virus is considered highly transmissible. While most people with RSV recover on their own, those at higher risk, including infants, older people and people with underlying health conditions, can end up hospitalized with severe symptoms."

"But the presence of RSV might not be a surprise to health experts who believe the state of California is paying a post-covid "immunity debt." The concept hypothesizes that because lockdown measures prevented people from getting exposed to common illnesses, these ailments are now returning with a vengeance."

Wastewater monitoring in Northern California shows RSV continues to circulate at unusually high levels. RSV has a moderate presence in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, parts of southeastern San Francisco, Napa, Sacramento, and Davis, with the highest levels in western San Francisco and parts of Marin, including Corte Madera and Novato. RSV typically begins in fall and peaks in winter, with the California Department of Public Health noting October through March as the most prevalent period. RSV spreads through sneezing and close contact, can persist on hard surfaces for hours, and is highly transmissible. Most people recover, but infants, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions can develop severe symptoms requiring hospitalization. Experts link ongoing circulation to a post-COVID immunity debt caused by reduced exposure during lockdowns.

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