RSV

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Respiratory Syncytial Virus

RSV is a very common virus that leads to cold-like symptoms in healthy adults and older children, and can lead to respiratory infections such as pneumonia and brocholitis in infants, younger children and adults with compromised immune systems.

RSV is a highly contagious virus that inflicts nearly all children by the time they reach two years of age, and is rapidly spread by coughing children. The virus remains contagious for weeks after contraction, and for several hours on surfaces.

For people with compromised immune systems, RSV can cause very severe to fatal complications of the respiratory system. RSV can cause pneumonia to develop and reduce oxygen levels.

Three years ago, RSV was often a life-threatening viral infection for people with compromised immune systems. Today, it is often successfully treated with drugs.

treatment - immune compromised systems

Treatment for immune patients includes a sterile closed air environment of negative pressure, medication administered through a nebulizer and a breathing machine to ease breathing. The nebulizer medication is administered every 8 hours around the clock (or more frequently, as in Victoria's case, at the onset so as to fight the virus).

Antibiotics do not treat RSV, which is a virus, but may be used to treat the subsequent infections in the lung, respiratory system or ears, for example as the virus moves into those areas of the body.

how is RSV passed?

RSV is spread through the air, on surfaces and objects, and via direct contact with a person who is infected. The RSV virus lives for many hours on surfaces (likely over 5 hours), for several hours on tissues (likely three hours), and for hours in the air.

risks of acquiring RSV

Risks of acquiring RSV include being near or around coughing children, day care center attendance as it is prevalent in any environment where numerous children are present, school attendance, living in crowded conditions, being exposed to tobacco smoke.

RSV prevention

Prevention to avoid contracting RSV includes avoiding high risk areas, or when those cannot be avoided, taking necessary precautions including masks and gloves (a definite for people with compromised immune systems, nd for any person who is affected or many have been affected and is in contact with a compromised immune system person or infant), washing hands frequently (yours, anyone you come in contact with, and and anyone with whom your child or children come in contact with), avoiding smoking inside your home, car or anywhere near your baby as exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risks of RSV illness.

The RSV season runs from fall to spring. Outbreaks may be reported in the local news, but that does not mean that RSV is not prevalent if the news isn't reporting an outbreak.

Medications

Some of the medications used to treat RSV include:

• Triumviri
• Synagis or Abbosynagis (palivizumab drug)
• Albuterol Bronchodilator
• Gentamicins