Discuss RSV, All of Your Queries Will be Answered by S.A. Physicians

Discuss RSV. All of your queries will be answered by S.A. physicians. What parents in San Antonio need to know about the virus!

All of your queries will be answered by S.A. physicians

In this season, masks are largely absent, there is no longer any physical separation, and the dreaded diseases that are usually associated with the winter have already surfaced. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza infections have exploded in the San Antonio area, shocking doctors who have seen an unheard-of early start.

How concerned about RSV should parents be? To get common questions about the virus, how it spreads, who is most at risk, and what is driving a rise in cases in the San Antonio region, we contacted local physicians.

Describe RSV.

A typical respiratory virus called RSV often causes minor, cold-like symptoms. RSV is the most frequent cause of severe bronchitis and pneumonia in children under the age of one in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most adults and older children who contract the virus don't experience serious health issues, and it usually goes away in a week or two.

Why are newborns and young children more susceptible to RSV?

Smaller airways in young infants easily become clogged with the extra secretions frequently linked to RSV. Infants and young children lack the strength or muscles necessary to cough or sneeze away the mucus that is obstructing their tiny lungs and airways.

According to CDC data, almost 58,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized each year with RSV. Preemies, babies under the age of six months, and young children with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk.

Dr. Emily Briggs, a family medicine specialist in New Braunfels, Texas, explained that while you can tell a three-year-old to cough or blow their nose, you can't tell a six-month-old to do that. As a result, the younger and immunocompromised populations are more at risk.

All of your queries will be answered by S.A. physicians

Why has the number of RSV cases risen this year?

Only 35 pediatric ICU beds were available in Texas as of November 29 according to the COVID-19 dashboard maintained by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, 12 of which were in the San Antonio area. An alarm is being raised by the shortage of beds as well as the rise in RSV, COVID-19, and flu cases, especially with the winter's worst months still to come.

The Children's Hospital of San Antonio's chief medical officer, Dr. Norman Christopher, explains that this year's RSV surge occurred earlier than in a typical year and was exacerbated by the overlap with a wave of influenza infection as well as lingering worries and worries about COVID infection in children.

According to Christopher, "We continue to see a significant number of patients with RSV every day and continue to admit a significant number of patients, both to the general inpatient and to the critical care units." The majority of RSV patients in hospitals are relatively young, and they need close observation and treatment since they are at such a high risk of worsening.

Briggs stated that the precise reason for the rise in RSV infections is unknown to medical professionals. She hypothesizes that because we have been using masks for the past two years, our immune systems are now being exposed to infections for which they are unprepared.

RSV season normally starts in mid-September and lasts until mid-November, peaking in late December and early February. According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, illnesses in the San Antonio region started to rise in late August and seemed to peak in early October.

It seems sensible that we would have another rise as we go into the winter months because RSV is a virus that is active throughout the year and peaks when it gets cold, according to Briggs.

What safeguards should you take to prevent contracting RSV and how is it spread?

When individuals come into touch with droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze, RSV is transmitted. People who have the virus can spread it to others for three to eight days on average, and occasionally even up to two days before any symptoms appear.

So how can you stop RSV from spreading? Health professionals concur that frequently washing your hands, avoiding close contact with sick people, and covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your shirt sleeve instead of your hands will all be beneficial. Additionally, it is advised to clean high-touch elements like cell phones, light switches, and doorknobs.

Briggs strongly advises parents and older siblings to keep babies and kids under two years old away from people who are coughing or sneezing, even if they don't have a fever.

The best course of action is to avoid close contact with anyone who is exhibiting symptoms or has recently been ill because these viruses don't always cause a fever.

When should you get emergency care?

Knowing when to seek emergency treatment is crucial since RSV patients have been filling hospitals, ERs, and urgent care facilities all across the San Antonio area since October. Before visiting an emergency department, Briggs advises consulting a primary care physician.

Early diagnosis and treatment of RSV symptoms are crucial to a positive result. Briggs advises parents and other caregivers to keep an eye out for signs in their kids like increased irritability, decreased appetite and decreased activity. Call your child's doctor if they begin to exhibit symptoms, but go to the emergency room if they are having trouble breathing or are turning blue.

"If at all possible, we want to keep youngsters out of the ER. A primary care office has a much lower risk of exposure to the flu, COVID-19, or other respiratory viruses than an emergency department, "Briggs elucidated.