RSV Cases Are Rising in Kids and Babies. What Parents Should Know

On top of continued concerns about COVID-19 and the anticipated wave of flu cases this fall and winter, health experts are also confronting another infectious disease: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV typically strikes during the colder months, when people gather indoors and are more likely to spread disease through close contact and respiratory droplets. It’s particularly common among infants and young children, as well as the elderly, who are more vulnerable to infections because of their less developed or weakened immune systems. After years of having no vaccines against the virus, scientists are moving quickly to developing one that could protect the youngest, most vulnerable babies. On Nov. 1, Pfizer reported encouraging results from a trial testing its RSV vaccine for pregnant women and found that it protected infants from the virus after they were born for at least six months. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Here’s the latest on the ongoing RSV surge and the search for a vaccine to help prevent it. What are the symptoms of RSV? RSV causes cough, fever, and runny or stuffy nose: symptoms that are very similar to those caused by the common cold, flu, or even COVID-19. Parents should call their pediatrician if these symptoms get worse after developing, particularly if children start showing signs of having difficulty breathing. What doctors worry about is bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the airways that can compromise breathing. There are ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 healthscienceclimate Public Health Source Type: news