This winter it’s not just the flu you have to worry about.
Health care offices around the Carolinas are seeing an uptick in a virus that mostly affects children.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus, but it can be very serious– especially for babies.
The symptoms start out like the common cold: runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and fever. But left untreated, it could settle in the chest and could affect your child’s breathing.
RSV surfaces around late fall and normally lasts until early spring. Grand Strand Regional Medical Center reports a big spike in the last few weeks.
“We’ve had the Inpatient Pediatric Unit since December of 2014, and this is the worst season that we’ve had,” Dr. David Rosenberg, Medical Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at GSRMC, said. “I’ve also been practicing for a little over thirty years, and this is one of the toughest RSV seasons I’ve seen in the last eight to ten years.”
Dr. Rosenberg says RSV is extremely contagious and is transmitted by droplets. “If you have contact with a patient with RSV and get oral secretions, for example, on your hand, then it can be transmitted to someone else,” he explained.
If your kid is around someone who has it, chances are they will get it too. “If there’s a child in daycare that’s got it, you’re gonna have to assume that everybody’s going to become infected,” Rosenberg said.
Dr. Rosenberg said it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and to see a doctor right away if you notice them. For infants, that could mean difficulty feeding. “It’s difficult to feed and swallow at the same time,” according to Rosenberg, “So parents may bring them in if they’re refusing to eat, they’re a little bit fussy.”
The majority of patients Grand Strand Medical Center’s Pediatric Unit has seen in the last two weeks have been for RSV. “This has been the worst year that I’ve seen in the last five years as far as RSV both in severity and the number of patients being admitted,” Rosenberg said.
To protect against RSV, GSRMC put special visitation restrictions in place. Anyone under 12 years of age is restricted from visiting due to the risk of cross-contamination.
There is no cure for RSV. Doctors say the problem is there’s no good specific treatment. Dr. Rosenberg said a shot for premature babies can help protect them during peak RSV season.
The best way to prevent the spread of the illness is to wash your hands and not share cups, food or drinks.