The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the usual winter colds and flus all but disappeared as people masked up and kept their distance.

Now, with children back in school, most pandemic restrictions lifted and in-person gatherings again becoming the norm, respiratory ailments are starting to make a comeback.

Among the germs making the seasonal rounds is the respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. Cases are increasing nationwide and rising in Oregon.

While the virus is getting a lot of media attention, RSV is common and mild for most children and adults. Its symptoms are the...