Typically, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) sends thousands of children to the hospital over fall and winter, peaking in January and February. But for the second year in a row cases have spiked early and continue to grow. This has led to unprecedented cases of the common respiratory virus across the U.S. On this episode of the podcast, Cohen Children's Medical Center leaders Joshua Rocker, MD, and Margaret Duffy, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, discuss what they are seeing on the front lines in New York, the impact flu will have leading into the winter months, and how hospitals are responding to the need. They explain what parents need to know about RSV, and what steps they can take to reduce transmission within the home, particularly for those with children under the age of 1, who are at the greatest risk. Listen to more episodes of 20-Minute Health Talk: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/20-minute-health-talk/id1528414053 Meet our guests Dr. Joshua Rocker is the chief of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division at Cohen Children's Medical Center Margaret Duffy is associate executive director for Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Find a pediatrician - https://childrenshospital.northwell.edu/find-care Chapters: 0:00 Opening 0:01 Intro 1:31 Why are we seeing an RSV surge now? 3:27 What is RSV? 5:04 RSV symptoms 5:56 How is RSV transmitted? 9:58 Diagnosing RSV 11:52 A view from the frontlines 13:23 The RSV surge in context 16:15 Flu, Covid-19 and RSV 16:51 Can you prevent RSV? 17:53 Coping with RSV Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, 850+ ambulatory facilities, and more than 18,500 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 79,000 employees – 18,900-plus nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including nearly 4,200 members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu. Interested in a career at Northwell Health? Visit http://bit.ly/2Z7iHFL and explore our many opportunities. The Well - https://thewell.northwell.edu/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/northwellhealth Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/northwellhealth Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/northwellhealth LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin/northwellhealth