Among children, respiratory syncytial virus, orRSV, is a very common respiratory virus. Dr. Octavio Ramilo is the chief of infectious diseases at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. People can get the virus at any age.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus can cause mild, cold-like symptoms in healthy children and adults, but can cause more serious disease in infants younger than 12 months old and older adults. In these more serious cases, the virus can spread from the upper respiratory tract to the lungs and cause inflammation of the lungs' air sacs.
Ramilo said that infants are at risk for severe disease because of their tiny airways and immature immune system. According to Ramilo, the number one cause of hospitalization in the first year of life is respiratory syncytial virus. The pathogen leads to millions of doctor visits and thousands of hospitalizations every year.
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The symptoms of the common cold are similar to those of the respiratory syncytial virus. The CDC has a list of typical symptoms.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there can be additional symptoms in infants.
The symptoms of the virus typically appear within four to six days of exposure. Symptoms can also be included in severe cases.
If a person has difficulty breathing, a high temperature, or a blueish color of the skin, they should seek immediate medical care.
When a person coughs or sneezes, they can transmit the disease through the air. The virus can live for up to six hours on hard surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, and 30 minutes on clean hands.
The CDC says that children often spread the virus to others at school. People with an immunodeficiency can be infectious for up to four weeks after their symptoms clear up.
The timing in a region can vary from year to year, according to the CDC.
There was a trend in RVS infections in the U.S. In the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, there was a report published in July of 2021. The report said that when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the spring of 2021.
Ramilo said the reason behind these trends is not clear. Ramilo doesn't think that the measures taken in 2020 to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are all that important. "I don't think we can explain everything from nonpharmaceutical interventions," said Ramilo, who noted that rhinoviruses and adenoviruses are still circulating despite restrictions.
In the summer of 2021, there was a big increase in the number of hospitalized patients. Ramilo said that there was a big increase in July and August. This is the first time in 25 years that there has been an outbreak in the middle of July and August.
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There is a difference between the two. The viruses that cause COVID-19 are part of a group of viruses known as coronaviruses. The symptoms of both respiratory viruses can be the same.
Ramilo said that it's possible to get infections with both COVID-19 andRSV. Ramilo said that doctors have been on the lookout for these co infections because they know that children can get infections from the common cold. He said they haven't seen a lot of cases of the two infections.
People are at risk for infections if they have severeRSV.
According to the CDC, there are about 2.1 million visits to the doctor and 58,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 each year, caused by the respiratory syncytial virus. 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths are caused by the virus in adults over the age of 65.
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There isn't a treatment for the disease. Antibiotics will not work to treat the disease because it is caused by a virus. Within a week or two, most people who catch the disease will be better.
Taking over-the-counter medicines can help manage symptoms. The CDC says that children shouldn't take aspirin. In order to help with a stuffy nose, people can use a combination of drops and sprays. People with an infectious disease should drink a lot of fluids.
The risk of ear infections in children may be increased by the presence of the respiratory syncytial virus. A child may be prescribed antibiotics if they have an ear infection.
In rare cases, people withRSV are hospitalized, and their treatment may include fluids, additional oxygen or use of a mechanical ventilator.
About 3% of infants in the U.S. need to be hospitalized for infections with theRSV. Most are able to return home within a few days.
The risk of RSV infections can be reduced by basic hygiene measures.
Babies and children with underlying heart or lung conditions should be avoided by people with cold symptoms.
A medicine called palivizumab (Synagis) can be given to infants and children at risk for severe disease from the respiratory syncytial virus. Palivizumab is a human-made anti-RSV antibody that can be used to fight real infections. The drug is given as a shot every month. It only prevents the disease from being treated. If a child would benefit from this medication, parents and caregivers can talk to their doctor.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent the spread of the disease, but that could change in the near future. In November 2020, Glaxosmithkline started a phase 3 study of a vaccine for pregnant women. It was thought that the vaccine could be passed on to the babies before they were born.
New drugs that stay in the body without being degraded are being developed. It would take just one dose to provide protection for the first year.
"We think the situation may change dramatically in the next few years as these tools come into practice." The future looks better for preventing the disease.
There isn't an approved vaccine to preventRSV. Pfizer announced promising results from a clinical trial of its experimental vaccine.
The one-dose vaccine was given to pregnant people in their second or third trimesters, which resulted in the production of protective antibodies. Newborns were given protection in their first few months of life. In the first three months, it was effective at preventing severe cases of the disease. The FDA is expected to approve Pfizer's application by the end of 2022.
Pfizer announced positive results from a late-stage trial of their vaccine for people ages 60 and older, as well as their vaccine for newborns. The vaccine's approval will be applied for by the company in 2022.
The article is not meant to give medical advice.
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