R.S.V-What to Look Out For

What exactly is RSV? New parents and Established parents have probably heard those three letters before. RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection. As of November 2022, there has been a rise in cases in the local areas. RSV can affect everyone, but it can be especially dangerous in infants and children under 1 year of age.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that can cause cold like symptoms. In more severe cases, RSV can cause Bronchiolitis, which is inflammation of the small airways in the lungs and Pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs. The most common symptoms to look out for are a runny nose, decrease in appetite, cough which may progress to a wheezing or difficulty breathing. Symptoms could also be, in young infants, irritability, decreased activity, decreased appetite, and apnea.

RSV can affect young children, adolescents, and adults, but it will look more like a common cold and not be very severe (in most cases).

For more information on RSV follow the link to the CDC’S website on RSV. As always no medical advice was given and this blog is just an informational piece, if your baby or child is sick and could possibly have these symptoms, call your child’s health care provider or go to urgent care to get them checked out.