RSV is booming. Here are some notes and answers regarding treatment options: NPR

Health experts agree that the unseasonably early spike in RSV cases, especially among children, was a result of lifting COVID-19 precautions and helped protect the public from a range of viruses. doing.

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APs

Health experts agree that the unseasonably early spike in RSV cases, especially among children, was a result of lifting COVID-19 precautions and helped protect the public from a range of viruses. doing.

APs

Temperatures are dropping, increasing the risk of COVID-19 and flu. And in the past few months, patients with another disease, the respiratory syncytial virus known as her RSV, have overwhelmed hospitals. Public health officials say that in the winter, “triple demic.”

Abnormally high numbers of RSV infections were already reported earlier this year. push the hospital to its limitsRSV typically sends thousands of children to hospital in the fall and winter, but for the second year in a row, experts have confirmed an unprecedented surge in cases. begin during the summer.

RSV most often presents as a mild illness with cold-like symptoms in adults, but can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis in very young children. In infants and the elderly, it can be life threatening.

But how worried should parents be? Here are answers to some of the most common questions about RSV infection, who is most at risk, and what is causing this year’s outbreak.

Why is RSV particularly bad this year?

While it may be too early to know for sure, health experts say the faster-than-usual surge is a result of the widespread lifting of COVID-19 precautions that helped protect the public from a range of viruses. I agree with you on one thing.

“When the pandemic hit the United States in March 2020, we found that the incidence of all viruses plummeted,” Dr. Vandana Madhavan, director of senior pediatrics at Mass General Brigham in Boston, told NPR. rice field. The main reason was that people stayed indoors, wore masks, and washed and sanitized their hands frequently, she added.

As restrictions begin to ease in the spring of 2021, health experts have started seeing strange circulation patterns for these respiratory viruses. This year, pre-COVID social activities and socializing, travel and a return to in-class instruction led to another dangerous surge, Madhavan explained.

There’s something else going on, she added. It was supposed to help build immunity, but it didn’t benefit me.

“We have whole cohorts of young children who weren’t constantly exposed to the virus in daycare, preschool or in the community.And now they are exposed and hit very hard.” Madhavan said.

These conditions have led to what some doctors call unprecedented numbers Number of infants and children in emergency rooms and pediatric intensive care units nationwide.

“I hope this is not the new normal,” Madhavan said on Friday. “But I’m worried because it’s still late October this year. Fall deepens, and you never know what will happen, especially this winter. “

Why are infants and young children most vulnerable to respiratory viruses?

Almost all children will be infected with RSV by the age of two. according to to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most often cause mild cold-like symptoms, as in the majority of healthy adults, but in very young children, especially infants and children under the age of five, severe bronchitis and It can also cause pneumonia.

The problem is that their small lungs and muscles cannot muster up the strength to cough and sneeze the secretions and mucus that have built up in their airways.

“They have trouble getting rid of excess water, which causes breathing difficulties, which leads to eating and drinking problems,” Madhavan said.

RSV treatment in such cases includes oxygen support, suction, and infusion.

According to the CDC dataAbout 58,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized with RSV each year. Her next most vulnerable group is adults over the age of 65, with 14,000 people dying from the disease annually.

What precautions can I take to avoid RSV?

Health officials say washing your hands, staying hydrated, keeping your hands away from your face, and sanitizing surfaces can help keep RSV at bay and prevent you from becoming seriously ill.

But if you have newborns or children under the age of one, Madhavan said the best thing to do is keep them away from adults who have recently become ill.

She suggested not being shy about berating others for how they feel. The person on the other end only thinks about mentioning if they were really sick, so they don’t think about mentioning whether they had a mild cold or a toddler, she added.

Madhavan said an effective way to keep children and adults healthy for the rest of the fall and winter is to get the latest COVID boosters and flu vaccines.

Anyone over 6 months old can take it influenza vaccineMadhavan noted that it takes several weeks for the shot’s full protection to take effect. “If a child is under 8 years of age and has never been vaccinated against influenza before, two doses, one month apart, are required for full protection two weeks after the second dose.

of COVID Bivalent Booster Available for ages 5 and up in September. Also, children 6 months and older can get any of her three COVID-19 vaccines available. “Don’t wait until another wave of COVID to get a booster,” he warns Madhavan.

Is there an RSV vaccine?

There is no RSV vaccine yet, but many are in development.

There is a treatment called Palivizumab Available for high-risk infants. This is an injection that can be given to premature babies and other babies born with certain pulmonary or heart conditions who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease.It is given once a month during the RSV season.

“It’s not a vaccine in that it doesn’t help the immune system provide long-term immune protection, but it does offer antibodies against RSV monthly during high-risk periods to give additional protection to high-risk children. I keep giving,” explained Madhavan.

Still, Madhavan emphasized that Palivizumab is not routinely administered to all children.partly because it could be more serious Drug-related side effects, such as sore throat, difficulty or rapid breathing, muscle weakness, and unresponsiveness.

When to seek emergency medical care?

Hospitals, emergency rooms, and pediatric ICUs across the country have been overwhelmed with RSV patients for weeks now. That’s why it’s important to know when to go to the ambulance and when it’s healthier to stay at home, Madhavan said.

She strongly discourages people from heading to the ER to be tested for RSV and other respiratory viruses.

“If you think you or your child may be infected, pick up the phone rather than enter an environment that could mean a long wait or expose your child or family to other viruses. , I recommend contacting your doctor or nurse…it has its own risks and could be taken,” she said.

In most cases, medical professionals can go through a checklist of warning signs and suggest possible home treatment, Madhavan said.

“Based on that information, we recommend starting nasal saline drops, using a humidifier or shower, or doing other things to help loosen mucus and reduce congestion.” She said, “For children over the age of one, they may try honey to stop coughing or suggest ways to bring down the fever.

But Madhavan cautions that if an infant or young child has a lot of trouble breathing, it may be time for more intensive care. This includes widening of the nostrils, grunting when inhaling and exhaling, and tugging or tugging of the skin or collarbone between or under the ribs.