RSV is a common viral infection that affects the respiratory tract, particularly in children under one year of age. Symptoms include cough, runny nose, and wheezing, and it can lead to severe bronchiolitis. RSV is highly contagious and can survive on surfaces for a few hours. Treatment is symptomatic, and high-risk groups may receive monthly medication to prevent severe cases. Handwashing is essential to avoid contact with the virus.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a viral infection of the upper and lower respiratory tract and the number one cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children less than one year of age. While typically a mild infection, RSV can progress to severe bronchiolitis, resulting in approximately 125,000 newborn hospitalizations each year. Although older children can also get the disease, it usually affects very young children and infants. Most children will have had the infection by age two.
Symptoms of RSV start off innocently enough, looking very similar to the common cold. Cold and flu symptoms such as low-grade fever, cough, and runny nose are usually all present. Wheezing may accompany other symptoms, especially if RSV is evolving into a more serious infection. The first infection can be more severe: up to 40% of young children develop bronchiolitis or pneumonia or show symptoms. A typical case of uncomplicated RSV usually resolves within a week.
Parents should be especially vigilant about the illness and seek immediate medical attention if their infant or child shows signs of RSV bronchiolitis. The symptoms of this disease are wheezing, rapid breathing, widening and retracting nostril. Retraction is when the muscles around the chest, neck and shoulders pull in when the baby inhales, this means they are working hard to breathe. Because children have smaller airways than adults, their airways can become compromised very quickly.
RSV is very contagious. While quite vulnerable once out of the body, it can survive for a few hours on surfaces, where it is easily picked up by an unsuspecting person. It is spread through sneezing, coughing, saliva and contact with the mouth, nose or eyes. The number of infections increases during the typical months of flu season, which last from late fall to early spring.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor will take a swab of nasopharyngeal secretions from the area of your throat behind your nose. Since RSV is a viral infection, the only treatment is symptomatic treatment. Painkillers are prescribed for discomfort and fever. If RSV has become a more severe case, you will be given oxygen therapy or drugs to improve your oxygen saturation and open your airways.
There are groups of children who have increased risk factors that contribute to RSV. Preemies and newborns, defined as infants less than six weeks of age, have a higher risk of becoming infected. Babies born with congenital heart defects, chronic lung problems, and compromised immune systems are also at increased risk.
Certain living conditions also contribute to risk. Children in daycare or crowded living situations, as well as those who are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, are more prone to developing RSV. Older siblings, a history of asthma, and lack of breastfeeding also contribute.
For children in these high-risk groups, a doctor may prescribe a monthly medication containing RSV-specific antibodies to help the child avoid developing a severe case of RSV. Some doctors advise parents of at-risk children to stay out of the public eye as much as possible during the high-risk period. As with any illness, it’s vital to wash your hands properly to avoid contact with the virus, especially during RSV season.
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