About RSV

Combating RSV

What is RSV?

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is the wide-spread type of viruses among young children causing respiratory illness (bronchiolitis or pneumonia) which infects lungs and breathing passages. Almost all kids by the age of 2 are infected with RSV at least once. 
Infants and kids as a rule are the most amenable to serious aftereffects than children of the older age and adults, who usually experience the same symptoms as those of a bad-cold: the sniffle, sore throat and cough, headaches, sometimes fever.   
RSV can be transmitted in consequence of the contact with infected people (when the person sneezes or coughs), moreover it can be spread through touching any infected surface, be it clothes or hands.
As it is highly contagious, RSV often affects infants in childcare centers or when older children pass it to them being previously infected in school.
The time between late fall and early spring is the common period of RSV epidemics. Usually a kid stay ill for a week, however there are cases when the recovery demands more time.

How to Treat RSV?

In fact, most cases of the illness being mild do not need any special doctor’s recommendations. The rule to remember is not to take antibiotics as they are ineffective against viruses, just against bacteria. If breathing through nose causes problems, medication is allowable to open airways.
Nevertheless, for the better treatment, hospitalization may be required if a baby is infected with RSV (as infants present special cases).
Thereby, if your child has signs of water depletion, thick nasal discharge, high fever, worsening cough (or cough producing mucus of yellow, gray or green color), irritability and inactivity of an infant expressed in refuses to eat, address the doctor immediately!
Beside these symptoms, call the doctor in case your child can’t breathe properly (or breathes too rapidly), or if the color of his/her lips or nails becomes blue.
If a child stays at home treatment, make the conditions for recovery comfortable; moreover a child should be provided with a good few of fluids. However the difficulty is that infants cannot drink a lot, that’s why we suggest giving fluids in small amounts at frequent intervals.
Here are some rules which may help during home care:
* In winter (that period of the year is marked by low level of air humidity) use a cool-mist vaporizer. It makes the air damp – that will help a child breath much easier.
* Using a cool-mist humidifier, do not forget to clean it every day with household bleach to prevent the appearance of mold. 
* Avoid steam humidifiers as they can be harmful for airways by causing scalding. The same rule has respect to hot water.
* Do not forget about blowing the nose. In case a child is too young to do it or cannot blow his/her nose properly, use a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator to get rid of the nasal mucus.
* To combat fever, use special nonaspirin medicine (e.g. acetaminophen). Kids with viral illnesses should not take aspirin as it may lead to Reye syndrome – a dangerous illness causing brain edema and fatty liver with minimal inflammation.

How to Prevent RSV?

As it has been said, RSV is highly contagious, however to prevent this virus any special sophisticated methods are not necessary. All you need to remember is the importance of washing hands (after having a contact with an infected person or any contaminated surface). If anyone in your family is infected, keep him/her away from an infant till the recovery. 
Before the period of RSV epidemic it is advisable to give your kid an injection of a special medication containing RSV antibodies. Such method helps to prevent respiratory diseases caused by RSV especially if a child is immunosuppressed. This kind of protection is not long-lasting. For that reason it is necessary to give this monthly injection annually until the kid is not considered to be at high risk.