As our children have officially headed back to school, parents are now being warned over the rise in RSV cases.
Dr. Dina Kulik, a pediatrician and founder of Kidcrew Medical, told CTV News Channel that the risk of your child contracting RSV is much higher now that they have returned to school and has urged parents to maintain hygiene routines and keep children home from school if they are unwell.
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a childhood illness that causes an infant with a fever, cough, runny nose, and trouble breathing.
According to the HSE, almost all children get RSV by the time they are two and it typically spreads in winter and early spring.
Most symptoms of RSV are mild, such as a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing and people usually recover within two to three weeks, but babies and toddlers are most vulnerable.
The HSE lists the symptoms of RSV as:
- cough
- wheezing
- runny nose
- difficulty feeding or decreased appetite
- fever (temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or higher)
- sore throat
These symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once.
After 4 to 5 days, babies and young children can develop bronchiolitis. Their symptoms may get worse and can include:
- increased breathing (more breaths per minute)
- wheezing
- difficulty feeding or decreased appetite
- less wet nappies
These symptoms often remain for 3 to 4 days before slowly getting better. It can usually take 10 to 14 days before babies and young children recover from an RSV infection.
Read more about RSV here.
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