What to know about this fall’s RSV surge

Also: How to stay safe on a night out

View this email online November 6, 2022 by Andrea Muraskin This week: We get into the surge in RSV: why it may be happening, who is most at risk, and how to treat it. And, policy changes and court rulings have led to some new choices for folks buying health insurance on the ACA marketplace. Plus, we explore ways to stay safe on a night out– without taking a self-defense class. RSV is surging. Here’s what to know AP Have you had RSV? Most children catch the respiratory virus before age two. And for many kids, as well as adults, the symptoms are so much like a common cold that you might not even know you had it.  But for some young children, RSV infection can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis. That’s because their little lungs and muscles can't muster up the power to cough up or sneeze out the secretions and mucus in their airways.(Poor kiddos!) Parents and caregivers can help by giving kids fluids, or putting them in a steamy bathroom to loosen the congestion. But if a child is really struggling to breathe, doctors recommend taking them to a hospital.  For the second year in a row experts have seen an unprecedented spike in the number of cases beginning during the summer months. Experts agree that the surges have a lot to do with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions across the country, since measures like quarantine and masking also kept other viruses at bay.  But there’s something else going on, according to Dr. Vandana Madhavan, a pediatrician at Mass General Brigham in Boston. "We've had this whole cohort of young children who haven't had that usual constant exposure to viruses at day care or in preschool or out in the community. And so now they're getting exposed and it's hitting them really hard," Madhavan said. Older adults and people with compromised respiratory and immune systems are at high risk too. Here’s what to watch for, and some treatment options.  ​​​​​​​More context: For scientists who study virus transmission, 2020 was a watershed year   Newsletter continues after sponsor message Shopping for health insurance on the marketplace? Don’t miss these changes Subin Yang for NPR If you buy your own health insurance, this one's for you. Plus if you usually pay for your family's insurance through your employer, read on.  Much of ACA coverage stays the same from year to year, But in the past year, the Biden administration and Congress have taken steps that will affect 2023 coverage, and could reduce your cost. Meanwhile, recent court decisions have triggered questions about coverage for abortion and preventive care.  For example, we usually think of health insurance plans purchased through the exchanges being for people who aren’t eligible for insurance through an employer, or who can’t afford their employers’ insurance. But in the past, that affordability calculation only took the individual worker into account. And as anyone who has kids can tell you, insuring a whole family tends to be much more expensive. Now, many families will have a choice between employer coverage and subsidized ACA coverage, which could be a better deal. Also, insurers can no longer deny coverage to people who still owe payments on a previous plan. When it comes to abortion coverage, the rules vary a lot across states. Some are restricting abortion coverage, a few are requiring it, and there’s lots of ambiguity in the middle.  As always, health insurance is complicated. Here are six things to consider before choosing a plan.  Plus: HMO? Deductible? Check our handy health insurance glossary.    Protect yourself on a night out with these 3 practical tips Kevin Fleming/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images If you’ve been reading this newsletter regularly, I hope you’ve gathered that we at NPR Health want you to be healthy and safe, AND we also want you to have fun! And no matter how many jokes my editor lets me pack into the weekly email, nothing beats a night out on the town.   Of course, nights out are also infamous for going wrong– like when a stranger sits down next to you on the train and insists on reciting his slam poetry to you specifically– or of course much worse. But there are simple ways to minimize the risk of unwanted interactions and increase your chances of getting home safe and sound. Some of these are counterintuitive-- like purposely making eye contact with passersby on the street. Others are beautiful in their simplicity, like holding a drink to indicate that you don’t need a stranger to buy you one, thank you very much. NPR Kroc fellow Michelle Aslam spoke with a health and safety educator and the moderators of a personal safety group. She came back with these tips– and advice on whether those self-defense TikToks really work. Also: Fires from exploding e-bike batteries multiply in NYC — sometimes fatally Before you go: Anna Blazhuk/Getty Images Daylight saving time ends today. Many would rather it didn’t Moms are underrepresented in politics. One group is hoping to change that A stranger noticed this woman’s strange birthmark. And it saved her life Listen: What actually happens when you donate your body to science We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth. All our best, Andrea Muraskin and your Shots editors Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). What do you think of today's email? 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