Story at a glance
- Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are increasing in the United States, especially among children.
- Symptoms can be mild like a cold: runny nose, coughing and sneezing.
- But in young children and older adults, RSV can cause more serious illnesses such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are currently high across the country, and experts say they could continue to rise as winter approaches, putting children and the elderly at risk for serious illness.
Adults with RSV typically have symptoms However, infected infants, young children, and older adults can develop more serious illnesses, such as pneumonia.
This year, many children’s hospitals are reporting an increase in RSV cases and the number of cases requiring hospitalization.
Cases are also unusually arriving earlier in the year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the test-positive rate for the virus has been around 10 to 15 percent in recent weeks. The number of positive cases increased rapidly from late August, which is early compared to a typical year when this increase may not start until November. The early surge raises the question of when virus cases will peak and how long this season will last.
“We’re already seeing a lot of RSV this year and I don’t think we’ve reached the peak yet,” says pediatric infectious disease specialist Benoosh Afghani of the University of California Irvine. “I think we’re going to see a peak in the next few weeks.”
Here’s what you need to know about RSV amid the rise in cases.
How is RSV transmitted?
RSV is primarily transmitted by contact with the bodprovincey liquidsand less often by air or skin contact.
People can contract the virus if they come into contact with droplets containing RSV and then touch their eyes, nose, or other body entryways.
The coming winter season will bring holidays and large gatherings where people sharing a space risk infecting each other with RSV as well as mainly airborne viruses such as influenza and COVID-19.
Especially for RSV, families should remember that touching surfaces can lead to transmission of the virus. “If they touch their nose and touch a surface and someone comes along and touches that surface and then their nose or eyes, they can get it if they don’t have immunity,” Afghani says.
RSV can survive for hours on hard surfaces such as tables and railings, and shorter on surfaces such as tissue or skin.
For example, transmission may be more direct if someone is coughing into a person’s face and not wearing a mask, allowing droplets to fall into their eyes and nose.
What are the symptoms of RSV?
Both adults and children can be infected with RSV. As with the flu, the illness is usually more severe in young children and older adults.
Adults infected with the virus typically experience cold symptoms such as a runny nose and sneezing. The common cold is caused by several types of viruses, including RSV, coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses.
In infants, children, and older adults, RSV infection can be like the common cold, but it can also lead to serious respiratory illness. According to the CDC, symptoms include runny nose, decreased appetite, cough, sneezing, fever and wheezing. For infants and children, mucus buildup and wheezing may be signs that the disease has progressed to a more severe condition. Older adults may be at risk for pneumonia, asthma exacerbations, or congestive heart failure.
RSV, as well as pneumonia, a lung infection It causes bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lungs.
Afghani says the virus does not typically cause diarrhea, but can cause vomiting if there is too much mucus. For example, if an infected person is breathing hard or coughing a lot, they may swallow the mucus and then vomit.
Adults and children with a severe case of RSV may need to be hospitalized if they have trouble breathing or become dehydrated. In some severe cases, the patient may need supplemental oxygen or intubation.
How is RSV treated?
There is no vaccine or approved treatment for RSV. In most cases, adults and children can get over the infection within a week or two without treatment.
There is a monoclonal antibody sometimes used to protect against serious illness caused by the virus called palivizumab, but this is only for the prevention of serious illness in high-risk infants. It is not intended for use as a treatment after a patient has been infected with RSV. Palivizumab is given as an intramuscular shot that must be repeated once a month during the RSV season.
Caregivers can manage fever and pain in people who are infected with over-the-counter products. The CDC says staying hydrated is very important for RSV patients.
Afghani states that aspiration, the process of drawing fluid from the airways, is the most important step to take when hospitalized infants with RSV who develop symptoms of serious illness, such as mucus buildup.
Why is RSV on the rise?
One possible reason why RSV is now on the rise is that fewer people have immunity to previous infections than in a typical year.
While there is no vaccine for the virus, adults and children can develop immunity to RSV from an infection. A pregnant person who is exposed and develops antibodies can even pass these antibodies to their fetus. Once born, the baby will have some protection against the virus.
But restrictions on face-to-face activities during the coronavirus pandemic have generally hampered the circulation of respiratory viruses.
Afghani says he’s now a cause for concern in part because of the rapid increase in cases in the US: Changing America.
More information about RSV can be found on the CDC’s website.
.
Aucun commentaire
Enregistrer un commentaire