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What is the Respiratory syncytial virus?

by Deanna Macaranas

PUBLISHED ON July 3, 2024

IN TIMES like this when the weather keeps changing comes the consequence of people becoming more vulnerable to illnesses.

It is the type of sickness that can make us feel under the weather, and since this is something that happens to us often, we sometimes perceive that it’s normal and that it would go away with the right amount of rest.

Common colds, sore throat, and fever may be relatively easy to treat, but when it’s a transmittable one, it becomes a different story.

It could potentially be Respiratory Syncitical Virus, which is more than just a common cold.

What is RSV?

Respirator Syncitical Virus or RSV is a common respiratory virus that presents symptoms like colds. It can be transmitted through contact with droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person when they cough or sneeze.

According to Mayo Clinic, RSV causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tracts.

The virus is common among children and adults. However, it can also cause severe infection in some people including infants aged 12 months and younger, and those who are immunocompromised.

Symptoms

Usually, the symptoms of infection appear after four to six days of exposure. RSV may come off as colds and can display symptoms like:

Congested or runny nose

Dry cough

Low-grade fever

Sore throat

Sneezing

Headache

In severe cases, the infection can spread to the lower respiratory tract, which can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which is the inflammation of the small airway passages entering the lungs. Signs include:

Fever

Severe cough

Wheezing

Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing

Bluish color of the skin due to lack of oxygen

RSV in babies

While RSV is common among infants, they are also the ones who are most severely affected of the disease. Symtoms of severe RSV infection among infants can include:

Short, shallow and rapid breathing

Struggling to breathe

Cough

Poor feeding

Lethargy

Irritability

According to Mayo Clinic, most children and adults recover from RSV in one to two weeks. However, people who have chronic heart and lung problems are vulnerable to severe or life-threatening infection. Thus, they may require a hospital stay.

COVID-19 and RSV

Since COVID and RSV display cold-like symtoms and fall into the category of respiratory viruses, distinguishing the the two can be difficult.

In children, COVID-19 often results in mild symptoms such as fever, runny nose, and cough.

Meanwhile in adults, symptoms of COVID-19 may become severe as it may include trouble in breathing.

Catching RSV increases the risk of getting COVID-19 as it lowers the immune system of children and adults. When the infections occur together, it can worsen the severity of the COVID-19 illness.

RSV cases in the Philippines

In a media panel discussion on June 21 in Taguig City, Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Rontgene Solante talked about RSV and how it develops.

Dr. Solante said the RSV season in the country is from September to February and peaks between the month of October and December.

He noted that it is the elderly who are most at risk of the virus, with 60,000 to 100,000 cases of hospitalization among senior citizens caused by RSV.

Pulmonary expert Dr. Leonora Fernandez said that there is no targeted treatment for RSV in adults, particularly for the elders but they can take preventive measures such as: