With the seasonal change entering the late rainy and early winter period, the body has to cope with the changing weather conditions, and one of the main diseases that can easily infect and make people sick, especially in young children, is a respiratory infection caused by the RSV virus. This virus might seem like a common cold at first glance, but it should not be underestimated as it can be life-threatening.
Understanding the RSV Virus
The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a type of virus that causes respiratory infections both in the upper and lower tracts. It can infect both children and adults, but it mostly occurs in young children under 3 years of age. In Thailand, outbreaks can often be found during the rainy season or the late rainy to early winter period.
RSV Transmission
The RSV virus can be transmitted through various bodily secretions such as mucus, saliva, and droplets from coughs or sneezes, especially through direct contact. If a child is infected, the incubation period of the disease is about 5 days, with the first 2 – 4 days often presenting symptoms similar to the common cold, such as fever, cough, sneezing, and runny nose. As the disease progresses, it can cause inflammation in the lower respiratory tract, leading to bronchitis, laryngitis, and pneumonia. In some cases, severe symptoms such as high fever, strong cough, labored breathing, wheezing, excessive mucus in the throat, high temperature over 39 degrees Celsius, vomiting after coughing, rapid and labored breathing, indented ribs or sternum, difficulty breathing out or wheezing sounds, reduced intake of food or milk, lethargy, and pale or bluish lips can occur because patients with severe symptoms may die from respiratory failure.
Particularly important symptoms to watch for include if there is a high fever greater than 39 degrees Celsius, coughing to the point of vomiting, rapid breathing to the point of indented ribs or sternum, difficult breathing out or wheezing sounds, reduced intake of food or milk, becoming lethargic, pale or bluish lips because patients with severe symptoms have a high chance of death due to respiratory system failure.
Moreover, from the news shared on social media, there’s an experience shared by a parent of a 5-month-old baby who was infected with the RSV virus, resulting in pneumonia. It is suspected that the infection came from being touched or kissed by someone else. Infection can occur from contact with those who are sick or are carriers, especially adults who adore small children and want to touch or kiss them without first cleaning their bodies or washing their hands. When they touch the child or come into contact with the child’s mouth or nose, it can also lead to infection. Adults should be careful not to inadvertently spread the infection to small children.
Treatment for RSV
Currently, there is no direct medication for treating the RSV virus infection, but symptomatic treatment is used, such as fever-reducing medications, cough suppressants, and mucus thinning drugs. In some children with very thick mucus, it may be necessary to administer inhaled bronchodilators through oxygen mist, perform chest physiotherapy, and suction mucus to help reduce the severity of cough and difficulty breathing.
RSV infection takes about 1 – 2 weeks to recover. This virus can cause symptoms ranging from the common cold to severe pneumonia, which is life-threatening for young children. The virus can recur if the body is weakened.
Preventing RSV
To prevent RSV infection, maintaining cleanliness is key. Parents should ensure good hygiene by frequently washing their and their child’s hands, as washing hands can eliminate up to 70% of all types of germs. Eating well-balanced meals from all 5 food groups and ensuring children get enough rest, along with regular exercise in well-ventilated areas, not always staying in air-conditioned rooms, can help build a strong immune system. Normally, adults don’t get this infection because they have a strong immune system, but adults can come into contact with this virus and may infect young children if their hands are not clean.
For parents or caregivers with sick children, it’s recommended to separate the sick child from healthy ones, avoid crowded places, maintain cleanliness of personal belongings, and keep them separate to prevent infection. Especially for parents with children who attend nursery or preschool, if the child is sick, they should stay home until they fully recover to prevent spreading the infection.
The Pediatric Center at Bangkok Hospital believes in the foundation of love and understanding in the family, with advice for properly caring for little ones from experienced pediatricians. The center provides diagnostic and preventive treatments, rehabilitation for health recovery, and emergency care for children, including development at various ages, by a team of specialists in various fields such as pediatric gastroenterology, respiratory system, infectious diseases, cardiology, neurology and brain, psychiatry, endocrinology, urology, surgery, hematology, and oncology.
