From Memorial Health System
As we head into the winter months, you likely have heard of an illness called RSV that is surging nationwide and filling hospitals to capacity. So, what is this virus, how serious is it and what precautions should you be taking? Here, Memorial Health System answers your most pressing questions.
WHAT IS RSV?
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages. It is a common, contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within four to six days after getting infected. Symptoms of RSV infection usually include a runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing. These symptoms usually appear in stages, not all at once. In very young infants with RSV, the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity and breathing difficulties.
WHAT PRECAUTIONS SHOULD PEOPLE BE TAKING?
If you have cold-like symptoms, you should cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve (not your hands), wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid close contact with others like kissing, shaking hands and sharing cups and eating utensils, and clean frequently touched surfaces.
If you have cold-like symptoms, please take extra precautions to not interact with children at high risk for RSV, including premature infants, children younger than 2 with chronic lung or heart conditions, children with weakened immune systems or children with neuromuscular disorders. Parents of children at high risk of developing severe RSV disease should help their child, when possible, to avoid close contact with sick people, wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching their face with unwashed hands and limit time spent in childcare centers or other potentially contagious settings during periods of high RSV activity.
SOME ADDITIONAL FACTS ABOUT RSV:
• Nearly all children will have an RSV infection by their second birthday, but RSV can affect people of all ages. Most infected people are contagious for three to five days with mild symptoms.
• RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in infants, resulting in 58,000 hospitalizations per year among U.S. children under age 5.
• It also can be dangerous to the elderly, causing 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths annually in the U.S. among adults age 65 and over.
• Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two. Pain and fever can be managed with over-the-counter medications, and infected people also should consume plenty of fluids and get sufficient rest. Talk to your healthcare provider before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines. While there is no specific treatment for RSV infection, researchers are working to develop vaccines and antivirals.
*Information provided by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention