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March 2016 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Common Virus Can Be Mild
or Severe
Most kids will have RSV by age 2
By Jamie Lober, Staff Writer
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
is rather enigmatic. “It is a very
common virus that is somewhat
like a cold virus, but somewhat different as well,” said Dr. Norman
Edelman, senior consultant for
scientific affairs at the American
Lung Association of the Midland
States. “RSV is an inflammation of
the small airways of the lung. Most
of the time it is just like a bad cold,
but sometimes it can be severe, so
much so that babies have a hard
time breathing.”
Edelman said an immune serum
that can protect babies has to be
given once a month. “For high-risk
babies such as those with congenital
heart disease or chronic lung dis-
ease, it is recommended that they
get this serum for five to six months
in the season when the virus is
prevalent,” said Edelman.
RSV is also a problem for older
people, especially those with chronic heart or lung disease. Protect
yourself as best you can. “Ordinary
hygiene is always important, like
washing your hands, covering your
mouth so you do not transmit the
virus to babies and maybe not visiting the grandkids when they are
sick,” said Edelman. You are usually
contagious for three to eight days,
but if you have a weakened immune
system, RSV can last a few weeks.
The virus spreads through
droplets that are produced when
a person coughs or sneezes. They
can also be spread if you touch a
contaminated surface such as a table
or doorknob. Try to avoid sharing
utensils or personal items.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) says adults with
RSV might have the symptoms of
a common cold, such as a stuffy
Almost all kids are infected with RSV
at least once by the time they are 2
years old.
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or runny nose, sore throat, mild
headache, cough, fever and a general
feeling of being ill. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
says when infants and children are
exposed to RSV for the first time, 25
to 40 out of 100 of them will have
signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis
or pneumonia, and five to 20 out of
1,000 will require hospitalization.
The AAP reports almost all kids
are infected with RSV at least once
by the time they are 2 years old. If
you suspect your child has RSV,
you can expect the doctor to take
a medical history and then do a
physical exam. “We do what we call
supportive treatment, which means
keeping the room properly humidified and making sure the baby does
not get dehydrated and the parents
follow the pediatrician’s advice,” said
Edelman. “A healthy child can stand
a cold but if a child has asthma or
some other problem, you usually
have to call the doctor pretty quickly when they catch a cold.”
The medical community is trying
to find a better approach to treating
RSV. “The key thing is to develop an
effective vaccine and that does not
exist quite yet,” Edelman said.