Doctors have revealed children born during the Covid-19 pandemic are requiring intensive care 'from encountering viruses they haven't come across before', such as influenza, RSV and Covid.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead infectious diseases paediatrician Dr Philip Britton said an analysis of ICU admissions across shows babies are testing positive for influenza and Covid at the same time.

'Over the last month or so, we have seen four times the admissions to hospital for flu in children as for Covid,' Dr Britton told The Daily Telegraph.

Infectious diseases paediatrician Dr Philip Britton said an analysis of ICU admissions across shows babies are testing positive for influenza and Covid at the same time.

RSV - respiratory syncytial virus - is a major cause of lung infections in children and can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which is particularly dangerous in young infants.

'Among that group who are previously well … It's not just a chest infection, some of these children can be impacted with the flu affecting the heart and the brain,' Dr Britton told The Daily Telegraph.

Infectious disease researcher Dr John-Sebastian Eden said the triple whammy of RSV, flu and Covid was packing out the emergency department of Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital.

Infectious disease researcher Dr John-Sebastian Eden said the triple whammy of RSV, flu and Covid was packing out the emergency department of Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital .

RSV - respiratory syncytial virus - is a major cause of lung infections in children and can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which is particularly dangerous in young infants

Like Covid, it can be transferred by sneezing and coughing, but unlike Covid, young children are particularly affected by it. 

Almost all children have had an RSV infection by the age of two, but infants in their first year of life are more likely to experience severe infections requiring hospitalisation, because their airways are smaller