GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — We typically see an uptick in respiratory infections towards the end of fall or early winter, but health professionals say they are seeing a rise in the number of RSV cases much earlier this year.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) usually appears as mild cold-like symptoms in adults and older children, but can be deadly for kids under six months.
It causes airways to become inflamed, making it especially problematic for young children who have much smaller airways.
“We first had Rhinovirus, Enterovirus, sort of common colds, and now we're progressing into some other viruses," said Andrea Hadley, MD, a pediatric hospitalist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “The main one right now being RSV, and that is a typical seasonal virus that we see usually peaking in December, January.”
The virus is spread in secretions, so it is commonly passed around quickly at childcare centers or preschools.
"When you're coughing and sneezing and putting your hands in your mouth, as kids and daycares do, it spreads pretty quickly," Dr. Hadley said. "Which is why, really, the hand hygiene is the most important thing — washing your hands as much as you can, keeping your kids home when they're sick, and if you have to go out and you're sick, wearing a mask to protect others from getting the virus that you have, and that you're spreading."
According to the CDC, RSV sends approximately 2.1 Million children to the hospital (outpatient) a year, while 58,000 end up needing to be hospitalized.
They say about 100-300 children under five die every year from the virus, while 14,000 adults over the age of 65 die a year.
Some of the worst cases can see young children needing a ventilator or incubator.
Dr. Hadley urges parents to do everything they can to avoid needing to be hospitalized.
She said, "that would really help offload some of the emergency departments, hospitals, urgent cares, outpatient offices, from the burden because we do have a bed crunch."
