Orange County Issues Emergency Declaration Due to Rising RSV Cases

A discarded face mask is pictured on the sidewalk in Long Beach, Calif., on Aug. 22, 2020. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Citing a record number of pediatric hospitalizations and emergency room visits, Orange County was under a health emergency declaration Nov. 1, with the county health officer pointing to a sharp rise in cases of the respiratory infection RSV, combined with COVID-19 and flu.

Cases of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, have been on the rise nationally, exacerbating a health system still coping with the COVID pandemic and an earlier-than-usual onset of flu season.