Every year, respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV, an illness in the lungs and breathing passages) causes over 2 million doctor’s visits among young children in the US. About 57,000 of these children are so sick, they need to be treated in a hospital. The American Academy of Pediatrics says babies from 2 months to eight months of age experience the highest incidence of RSV. The virus is also the most common reason that babies under one year of age are hospitalized.
Although it’s common in young children, anyone can get RSV. And because having it once doesn’t protect you, you can get it again. Currently, there’s no vaccination for RSV.
SPOTTING THE SYMPTOMS
Most of the time, RSV starts with the same symptoms as the common cold — runny or stuffy nose, cough and sometimes a sore throat. In more severe cases, symptoms can be fever, wheezing, trouble breathing or bluish color of the skin. Healthy adults and older children with RSV usually have mild symptoms and recover in one to two weeks.
In some people, RSV can be serious. Very young babies with RSV may not have signs of a cold but may be irritable, really tired or not want to nurse or take a bottle. These babies have a greater risk of life-threatening breathing problems. RSV can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Those at higher risk include premature babies, children younger than 2 years old with chronic lung or heart disease, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.
AVOIDING CONTAGION
RSV is very contagious and easily spread from person to person. If someone coughs or sneezes and doesn’t cover his mouth, you can get the virus by breathing in these droplets in the air. Also, the virus can live for hours on hard objects we all touch, such as handrails, door knobs or toys. If you touch a contaminated object and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth, you can become ill with the virus. Children often get RSV at daycare or school and then spread the illness to their families at home.
RSV season can start as early as mid-September and last through the spring, peaking during the winter months. You can protect your child and family by taking a few common-sense precautions.
Protect Your Baby. Follow these tips, adapted from healthybaby.org:
- Make sure caregivers wash their hands before picking up and holding your baby.
- Keep your baby away from people with runny noses and anyone who is sick. This includes the baby’s siblings.
- Don’t stop breastfeeding your child if you have a cold. Breastfeeding gives your baby protective antibodies.
- Keep your baby away from crowded areas, such as shopping malls.
- Don’t let anyone smoke around your baby. Exposure to secondhand smoke can make your baby more susceptible to a serious RSV infection.
Protect the Rest of Your Family. Follow these tips, adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If there is no soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Keep your hands off your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who have cold-like symptoms. Don’t share cups and utensils with others.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash afterward. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into your elbow. Coughing or sneezing into your hand can spread germs to anything you touch.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that people frequently touch, such as doorknobs. When people infected with RSV touch surfaces and objects, they can leave behind germs. Also, when they cough or sneeze, droplets containing germs can land on surfaces and objects.
- Wash toys often, particularly when a child playing with them is sick.
- If possible, sick people should stay home from work, school and public areas. This will help protect others from catching the illness.
IF YOUR CHILD GETS RSV
Most healthy adults and older children will recover from RSV in a week or two. Do the following to care for a child with RSV:
- Make sure your child drinks plenty of liquids so she doesn’t become dehydrated.
- If needed, give a fever-reducing medicine, such as ibuprofen. Don’t give aspirin to a child.
- Watch for signs of a severe or life-threatening infection and get immediate medical care for your child. Some signs to look for are trouble breathing, such as breathing fast, funny breathing noises or a sucking in of the skin around the chest or stomach area when taking a breath.
- Call your doctor if your child is not drinking enough fluids or is getting worse.
- Call your doctor if your baby is irritable, tired and not wanting to feed.
How to Protect Your Child and Family from RSV
- Wash your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If there is no soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Keep your hands off your face
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with sick people
- Avoid close contact with people who have cold-like symptoms. Don’t share cups and utensils with others.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash afterward. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into your elbow. Coughing or sneezing into your hand can spread germs to anything you touch.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces; wash toys frequently
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that people frequently touch, such as doorknobs. When people infected with RSV touch surfaces and objects, they can leave behind germs. Also, when they cough or sneeze, droplets containing germs can land on surfaces and objects. Wash toys often, particularly when a child playing with them is sick.
- Stay home when you are sick and keep your child home when she is sick
- If possible, sick people should stay home from work, school, and public areas. This will help protect others from catching the illness.
Information adapted from CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html
How to Protect Your Baby from RSV
- Make sure caregivers wash their hands before picking up and holding your baby.
- Keep your baby away from people with runny noses and anyone who is sick. This includes the baby’s siblings.
- Don’t stop breastfeeding your child if you have a cold. Breastfeeding gives your baby protective antibodies.
- Keep your baby away from crowded areas, such as shopping malls.
- Don’t let anyone smoke around your baby. Exposure to secondhand smoke can make your baby more susceptible to a serious RSV infection.
Information adapted from www.healthychildren.org
Brenda Schoolfield is a freelance medical writer who splits her time between Austin and Seattle.
