Chile health officials warn of RSV surge as school term resumes

Health teams of the Servicio de Salud Aconcagua inspected hospital emergency services in San Felipe and Los Andes as Chile's schools reopen for the second semester. They reported a recent decline in respiratory consultations but cautioned that the end of the winter holidays could trigger a rise in influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases. Officials urged the public to keep windows open, practice frequent hand‑washing, cover coughs, keep sick children at home and ensure up‑to‑date influenza vaccination.

In the southern Magallanes region, epidemiological surveillance for week 25 (21‑27 June) showed a 41.5 % positivity rate among tested samples, with RSV accounting for 33.3 % of detections, followed by influenza B (22.2 %). The week recorded 1,394 respiratory‑related emergency visits (33.7 % of all attendances), primarily among children aged 0‑4. Vaccination coverage reached 72.2 % of the target population, and RSV immunisation in infants hit 92.8 %. Authorities reinforced the same preventive measures of hand hygiene, ventilation and mask use for symptomatic individuals.