Certain individuals are susceptible to severe infection from RSV, such as premature infants, elderly adults, those with heart and lung conditions, and those with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised).
Usually with minimal symptoms, the infection goes away on its own. But RSV can cause significant infection, especially in young children and newborns, as well as in older kids with certain chronic illnesses like asthma.
How to take care of RSV at homeReduce traffic. If your child is unable or unwilling to blow their nose, place one or two drops of nasal saline into each nostril.Take a puff of steam. In your child's bedroom, turn on a cold mist humidifier and offer them steaming showers.Allow honey to assist.Induce pain relief.Drink plenty of water.
Most people develop a viral illness caused by RSV before the age of two. An RSV infection can worsen in certain newborns, elderly individuals, and those with specific medical conditions, and can result in pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
Children infected with RSV usually experience upper respiratory tract symptoms, including fever and runny nose/congestion, for two to four days. Lower respiratory tract symptoms, such as a growing wheezing cough that sounds strong and moist with increased work breathing, come next.
RSV-affected babies may have disturbed sleep, which gets worse at night because of symptoms including fever and coughing. Keeping newborns hydrated, using a cool mist humidifier, suctioning their nose, and adhering to physician instructions for fever management are some strategies to help babies with RSV sleep better.
A blood test called the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antibody test quantifies the amount of antibodies, or immunoglobulins, that the body produces in response to an RSV infection. Venipuncture, or taking blood from a vein, typically occurs from the back of the hand or the inside of the elbow.
Why Does RSV Occur? Close contact with an infected person who is spreading the virus through coughing, sneezing, or touching infected toys or doorknobs can result in the transmission of RSV from one person to another. A person can become ill anywhere from two to eight days after being exposed.
In late fall, winter, and early spring (between November and April with a peak in January to February), RSV outbreaks often take place during the rainy months in tropical countries and the winter months in temperate climates.
A vaccination that will be given to expectant mothers to protect their unborn children from RSV during the first six months of life has recently received approval from the FDA. Pfizer offers a single dosage shot known as ABRYSVO, which is one of the vaccines authorized for use in people 60 years of age or older.