Is COVID-19 really to blame for the new wave of respiratory viral infections?
Over the past month or two, many northern hemisphere countries including the US and the UK have seen a large wave of respiratory viral infections.
These include RSV, flu and COVID in all ages, as well as bacterial infections such as strep A in children.
As a result, the UK has seen a huge surge in hospital admissions during winter, putting the health service under further stress.
This had led some to question whether COVID damages our immune systems.