Respiratory syncytial virus showing a resurgence this summer, like COVID-19 | News, Sports, Work

During the winter, the respiratory virus, which is found primarily in children, occurs early in Utah, and doctors fear that this is only the beginning of a potentially bad season.

The respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, has already begun to land infants and toddlers in hospitals, some even in the intensive care unit.

“In the past few weeks, cases of RSV confirmed in the lab have begun to increase in the same way that the number of COVID-19 has begun to increase in children.” Dr. Peter Gesteland, a hospitalist at Utah University Hospital and Primary Children’s Hospital, said. “We are very closely monitoring this as we believe these trends will recover and more illnesses will occur.”

At a press conference this week, Gesteland said RSV usually began to appear around late November and gained momentum around January. It is very rare for a virus to appear on this at the beginning of the year. Last year, he said, there were few or no cases of RSV in both Utah and across the country. This is most likely due to the protocol introduced to control the pandemic. Now that things are starting to relax and people are remixed, the virus has had the opportunity to attack.

“The virus is present at a certain level, waiting for the opportunity to jump out and infect children and people in the community. Usually, during the respiratory season, the virus circulates and infects, and by the end of the year the population is at a certain level. Get immunity. “ He said.

In addition, Gesterand said smoke from recent wildfires may have contributed to the increase in cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV is a common virus that usually causes symptoms that resemble a common cold. Most people recover after a week or two, but in immunocompromised people such as infants, toddlers, the elderly, and people with asthma or cancer, the virus travels to the lower airways and causes inflammation of the small airways in the lungs. It can cause it. It can also cause pneumonia and respiratory distress.

Stephanie Elias of Ogden said her 3-year-old son, Henrik, began to feel sick last week.

“He had a runny nose and a cough. I thought it was due to all the smoke in the air, but then he started to get crowded and became quite lethargic.” She said.

The next day, Elias said her son had little or no energy, wasn’t eating, and had a bad cough.

“We were really worried about COVID. We weren’t even thinking about RSV.” She said. “But they gave him a test to check for both COVID and RSV, and his test returned positive for RSV.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t admitted to the hospital and is slowly starting to recover, Elias said.

“I tell my parents to definitely keep it on their radar.” She said.

According to Gesterand, RSV is well known to infect children, but it can also affect adults, and in immunodeficiency and the elderly, the disease can be very serious. ..

“If you are one of those at risk of serious illness, make sure you have a sufficient supply of your medication, contact your primary care physician, and take action if you get sick. It’s good to make sure you have a plan, “ He said.

Gesterand also said more children are starting to get sick with COVID-19. He said health officials expected the number to increase once the school started.

“Children are generally less ill with COVID, but that may change.” He said. “We are now watching the kids fill the hospital beds.”

The symptoms of RSV and COVID-19 are similar, so Gesterand said it would be wise to test both. If your child begins with a cough, congestion, rapid breathing, high fever, and a cold that turns into loss of appetite, they should be seen by their doctor. If you have breathing problems, your parents should seek immediate help.

“This is a controversial and politically condemned topic, which is a bit unfortunate.” He said. “Thanks to RSV lasing and delta variant lasing, there is a really strong debate about wearing masks. I don’t want people to get sick and die unnecessarily. Masks aren’t perfect, but they spread. Probably the best tool in the toolbox for slowing down and flattening spikes. “

In addition to wearing masks, Gesteland said children should wash their hands thoroughly and parents should leave them at home when they are ill.

“We’re all pretty tired of the pandemic. We were very optimistic this summer, but in reality we’re working on it.” He said. “If you’re one of those who have withheld the COVID vaccine for some reason, I highly recommend going and doing it. This is one way to get out of this mess. Minimize illness and suffering. We need to mobilize as a community to limit ourselves, to educate our children, and to be emotionally happy and safe. “

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