What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). How does RSV affect children differently than adults. What are the high-risk factors for RSV complications. How can RSV be prevented and treated. When should you seek medical attention for RSV symptoms.

What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)?

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, commonly known as RSV, is a widespread viral infection that can cause a range of symptoms from mild to severe. While it typically manifests as a common cold in adults, RSV can lead to more serious complications in children, particularly infants and young toddlers.

Dr. Haroon Ali, a pediatric hospitalist at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, explains, “When adults get RSV, they just get kind of a cold. They don’t typically get tested for it, and they usually don’t even go to the doctor.” However, the impact on children can be significantly different and more severe.

Why Are Children More Vulnerable to RSV?

Children, especially those under the age of five, are more susceptible to severe RSV infections due to several factors:

• Immature immune systems that are highly reactive
• Smaller airways that can easily become obstructed by mucus
• Higher risk of developing bronchiolitis, a serious lung infection

Dr. Ali elaborates, “They have a younger immune system that’s very reactive. They also have smaller airways all the way to the bottom of their lungs. When they get filled with mucus, they can get in a lot more trouble than adults do.”

High-Risk Groups for RSV Complications

While any child under school age could potentially experience complications from RSV, certain groups are at a higher risk:

• Infants under one year of age
• Premature babies (born before 37 weeks gestation)
• Children with pre-existing lung or heart conditions
• Those with compromised immune systems due to illness or medical treatments

Recognizing RSV Symptoms in Children

RSV often begins with cold-like symptoms, which can progress to more severe manifestations in some cases. Common symptoms include:

• Runny nose
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Wheezing
• Decreased appetite
• Difficulty breathing

Are some symptoms more concerning than others? Yes, certain signs warrant immediate medical attention. Dr. Ali advises, “If you start to worry about your child breathing on their own, or if they seem like they are spending all their energy on breathing, that would be a worrisome symptom and reason to seek medical attention.”

Warning Signs to Watch For

Parents should be vigilant for the following warning signs:

• Chest retractions (visible lines between ribs or below the rib cage during breathing)
• Pauses in breathing, especially in infants under 6 months (lasting 15-20 seconds)
• Signs of dehydration (fewer than four wet diapers per day, decreased fluid intake)
• Bluish color around the mouth or fingertips
• Lethargy or extreme fatigue

How is RSV Diagnosed and Treated?

Diagnosing RSV typically involves a physical examination and assessment of symptoms. In some cases, a nasal swab may be taken to confirm the presence of the virus. However, it’s important to note that RSV is a viral infection and cannot be treated with antibiotics.

How is RSV managed if antibiotics aren’t effective? Treatment for RSV focuses on symptom relief and supportive care. This may include:

• Over-the-counter fever reducers (consult with a pediatrician for appropriate dosage)
• Nasal saline drops and suction to clear airways
• Increased fluid intake to prevent dehydration
• Humidifiers to ease breathing
• Rest and monitoring

In severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary for more intensive supportive care, such as oxygen therapy or intravenous fluids.

Preventing RSV: Strategies for Protection

While there is no vaccine currently available for RSV, several preventive measures can help reduce the risk of infection:

1. Practice good hand hygiene, especially when caring for infants
2. Keep young children away from individuals showing signs of illness
3. Avoid sending sick children to daycare
4. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
5. Avoid exposure to tobacco smoke, which can increase susceptibility to respiratory infections

Is there a specific time when children can safely return to daycare after RSV? Dr. Ali suggests that children can typically return to daycare once their symptoms are improving and they no longer have a fever.

RSV and Its Impact on Different Age Groups

While RSV can affect individuals of all ages, its impact varies significantly across different age groups:

Infants and Young Children

This group is at the highest risk for severe RSV infections. The virus can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infants, potentially requiring hospitalization. Parents should be particularly vigilant with children under two years old.

School-Age Children

Older children generally experience milder symptoms, similar to a common cold. However, they can still spread the virus to more vulnerable individuals, such as younger siblings or grandparents.

Adults

Healthy adults typically experience mild, cold-like symptoms when infected with RSV. However, the virus can pose a greater risk to older adults, especially those with weakened immune systems or chronic heart or lung diseases.

How does the immune response to RSV differ between age groups? The immune system’s maturity and previous exposure to the virus play crucial roles in determining the severity of RSV infections across different age groups.

The Seasonal Nature of RSV

RSV infections follow a seasonal pattern in many regions, with peak activity occurring during specific months:

• In the United States, RSV season typically runs from fall through spring, with the highest number of cases often seen in winter
• In tropical and subtropical climates, RSV may circulate year-round or have different seasonal patterns

Understanding the seasonal trends of RSV can help healthcare providers and parents be more prepared during high-risk periods. Does the seasonality of RSV affect prevention strategies? Yes, heightened awareness and preventive measures are particularly important during peak RSV seasons.

Long-Term Effects and Recurrence of RSV

While most children recover fully from RSV within a week or two, some may experience longer-term effects:

• Increased risk of recurrent wheezing or asthma in some children who have had severe RSV infections
• Potential for recurring RSV infections throughout life, though subsequent infections are usually milder

Can RSV have lasting impacts on lung function? Some studies suggest that severe RSV infections in infancy may be associated with an increased risk of respiratory issues later in life, but more research is needed to fully understand this relationship.

Monitoring After Recovery

Parents of children who have experienced severe RSV infections should:

• Follow up with their pediatrician regularly
• Be aware of any persistent respiratory symptoms
• Discuss potential long-term management strategies if necessary

Emerging Research and Future Developments in RSV Management

The medical community continues to advance its understanding and management of RSV. Current areas of research and development include:

• Vaccine development: Several RSV vaccines are in various stages of clinical trials
• New antiviral treatments: Researchers are exploring novel therapies to combat the virus more effectively
• Improved diagnostic tools: Efforts are underway to develop faster, more accurate testing methods for RSV

What potential breakthroughs in RSV prevention and treatment are on the horizon? While it’s difficult to predict specific outcomes, ongoing research offers hope for more effective prevention strategies and targeted treatments in the future.

The Role of Community Awareness

Increasing public awareness about RSV is crucial for improving prevention and early intervention. Healthcare providers and public health officials play a vital role in educating communities about:

• The signs and symptoms of RSV
• Proper hygiene and prevention techniques
• When to seek medical attention
• The importance of protecting vulnerable populations

By fostering a better understanding of RSV among the general public, we can collectively work towards reducing its impact on children and vulnerable adults.

RSV: What it is and how to prevent it

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus that can cause symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

While not a threat to most adults, RSV can lead to a serious lung infection called bronchiolitis in some children.

“When adults get RSV, they just get kind of a cold. They don’t typically get tested for it, and they usually don’t even go to the doctor,” said Haroon Ali, MD. As a pediatric hospitalist at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Dr. Ali has treated many children with severe RSV infections.

Why children are different

Children respond differently to illnesses like RSV.

“They have a younger immune system that’s very reactive. They also have smaller airways all the way to the bottom of their lungs. When they get filled with mucus, they can get in a lot more trouble than adults do,” Dr. Ali said.

Any child younger than grade-school age could be at risk of complications from RSV, but in general, the highest risk is for those who are youngest.

Children under a year old are generally considered high-risk for complications from RSV, as are those with certain medical conditions including:

• Prematurity (born before 37 weeks gestation)
• Lung and heart problems
• A compromised immune system because of illness or medical treatment

Treating RSV

Because RSV is caused by a virus, it cannot be treated with antibiotics. Treatment instead is focused on alleviating symptoms and keeping children as comfortable as possible while their immune system fights off the virus.

Children who become infected with RSV might have cold-like symptoms. Many times, these symptoms will resolve without medical treatment, but some cases can escalate to a serious illness.

If your child has only mild symptoms, you can try to keep them comfortable at home. If your child has a fever, check with your pediatrician or family doctor about what medications you can safely use.

You can also use nasal suction (a saline spray or suction tool) to keep their nose and airways clear. This is especially important when they are sleeping and eating.

“But if you start to worry about your child breathing on their own, or if they seem like they are spending all their energy on breathing, that would be a worrisome symptom and reason to seek medical attention,” Dr. Ali said.

Chest retractions are a hallmark sign of difficulty breathing. If you can see the lines between your child’s ribs, a pronounced line between their ribs and stomach or a notch between their clavicles (collarbones), they should be seen by a medical provider as soon as possible.

“The most significant thing you can look out for in kids who are under 6 months old would be pauses in breathing. Fifteen to 20 seconds could be very worrisome, and you should seek medical attention immediately,” Dr. Ali said.

You should also be on the lookout for signs of dehydration: fewer than four wet diapers in a day or a significant decrease in how much your child is eating, drinking or urinating.

Preventing RSV

To prevent RSV:

• Keep hands clean, especially when you are caring for a very young infant.
• Keep young children away from others (adults or children) who show signs of illness. For children under 2 months old, even mild illnesses like colds or sniffles could be dangerous.
• Don’t send your child to daycare if they are sick. Children can safely go to daycare once their symptoms are improving and they do not have a fever.

Last Updated: April 18, 2022

View all posts by Laura Nightengale

Tags: infection prevention, OSF Children’s Hospital, viruses

Categories: Kids & Family, Preventive Health

Is my sore throat COVID-19 or not?

A sore throat is pretty common, as far as symptoms of illness go. Sore throat can be caused by illnesses ranging from the non-serious to the dangerous.

If you’ve ever woken up with a sore throat after spending the day before cheering your heart out at a football game or screaming along to the lyrics at your favorite band’s concert, you also know you don’t need to be sick at all to get a sore throat. The common cold can also cause a sore throat. And, more recently, we’ve discovered that a sore throat is a sign of COVID-19.

We’ve all likely experienced a sore throat before, but when should it be a cause for worry? And when a sore throat feels the same no matter what the cause, how can we tell if it’s a cold, too much yelling, allergies or a COVID sore throat?

What does COVID sore throat feel like?

Well, it can feel exactly the same as a cold, according to Brian Curtis, MD, vice president of Clinical Specialty Services for OSF HealthCare. That makes it hard to tell the difference between a cold and a mild case of COVID.

It’s even harder to tell the difference knowing that sore throat is a COVID symptom. The common cold and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both the same type of virus – called a coronavirus – and can cause similar symptoms.

One of the early symptoms of COVID is a fever. However, as different strains of COVID spread, it’s possible to have a COVID sore throat and no fever or other symptoms.

But, Dr. Curtis said, it’s more common to have other symptoms in addition to a sore throat if you have COVID.

“Only about 5-10% of COVID-19 patients will have an isolated sore throat. Usually, they will have a touch of fever, loss of taste and smell and difficulty breathing.”

Catching COVID symptoms

“We have to be very vigilant with cold symptoms,” Dr. Curtis said. “We as a society used to be kind of dismissive of cold symptoms, but we can’t be dismissive of them now. If you have just a sore throat with no other symptoms, it’s less likely to be COVID-19. But with other symptoms, it is possible you have COVID. Sore throat, cough, fever – I would be worried about COVID. ”

If you develop any other symptoms – even milder symptoms you typically associate with a common cold – you should contact your physician or get tested for COVID-19. Tests can be done easily with an at-home test.

Even if you have a mild case of COVID-19, you could spread the coronavirus to someone who suffers a worse infection. You need to be sure you aren’t putting others at risk if you have any possible COVID-19 symptoms.

How long does COVID sore throat last? According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of COVID typically last between five days and two weeks. But if it lasts longer than five days, Dr. Curtis said, it could be something else and is worth getting checked out by your provider.

COVID sore throat remedy

For symptom relief, use over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or Motrin for fever, body aches and pain. For sinus issues, congestion, ear or facial pain, try a decongestant or allergy medication. And for a persistent cough that produces mucus, Mucinex is a good option. And continue to rest and consume plenty of fluids, like water and herbal tea.

What else could it be?

Did you recently get a new pet and are now experiencing a sore throat? Could be allergies. There are many causes for your sore throat, such as:

• If you also have difficulty swallowing, you should be seen by your physician. If you experience shortness of breath, you should be evaluated. If you have a single lump on one side of your neck, you should get evaluated.
• If your cold symptoms turn out to be due to an actual cold, you need some fluids and rest, and you should be back up in a couple days.
• If you’ve got a sore throat with a fever, but no runny nose or cough, you might have strep throat. Check for white spots on the tonsils – a sign of a secretion caused by inflammation of the tonsils – and tender nodes on the front of your neck. Contact your physician.
• If your sore throat is accompanied by a low-grade fever and extreme fatigue, it could be mononucleosis (mono), which is most common in people in their teens and 20s. Contact your physician.
• Influenza can cause a sore throat that is typically very abrupt, and commonly joined by body aches, fevers and headache.

When to worry about a sore throat

“A sore throat by itself is typically not something to worry about,” Dr. Curtis said.

Your throat could be irritated from allergies, air pollution or overuse. It could also be due to smoking, in which case the solution is simple (QUIT).

If it lingers longer than a week, however, you should contact your physician.

The main point, according to Dr. Curtis, with so many diagnoses, it’s safest to get it checked out. You should contact your physician if you have any questions or concerns about your health and any symptoms you experience.

Last Updated: August 22, 2022

View all posts by Ken Harris

Tags: cold, flu, sore throat

Categories: COVID-19

why pain occurs with colds, flu and SARS

06/01/2022

3 minutes

110 536

Contents

• Body aches: when it appears and why
• Muscle pain associated with influenza and SARS
• Other causes of muscle pain
• How to remove pain in the joints and muscles with a cold?
• Additional tips

During illness, many feel overwhelmed, there is weakness, pain in the muscles, joints and back. Unpleasant sensations can be disturbing during the flu and the common cold. Next, we will talk in detail about the causes of discomfort and how to remove the symptoms.

Body aches: when it appears and why

Body aches are pain in the muscles, back and joints. It often appears along with general weakness and a feeling of malaise.

Muscle pain with flu and SARS

Soreness in the body is a common symptom of viral and bacterial infections¹. Aches in the body are often accompanied by a high temperature with SARS and influenza. But it can be expressed in different ways (it all depends on the “culprit” of the disease):

• With ARVI , pain occurs less frequently. The sick person is more concerned about discomfort in the throat, runny nose, a slight increase in temperature (usually within 37–38 ° C)⁴.

• With influenza , muscle pain is much more common and is considered one of the key symptoms. It is joined by: weakness, headache, unpleasant sore throat, cough³. At the same time, the temperature can be quite high: more than 38 ° C.

Muscle pain in ARVI and influenza is a symptom of body intoxication. It is provoked by toxic substances that are formed during the infectious process in the body. They enter the blood and quickly spread throughout all body systems, accumulate in the muscles². That is why you could notice: the higher the temperature, the more the whole body hurts⁶.

With influenza, such a reaction can last about 5 days, and during SARS – up to 12 days⁴. Then the temperature gradually decreases, and with it the discomfort disappears.

Other causes of muscle pain

Sometimes muscle discomfort is a normal reaction of the body to unusual physical activities. For example, if you decide to go jogging or return to the gym after a long break. Sometimes muscle pain can disturb absolutely healthy people after a long stay in the cold or in an uncomfortable position due to stressful situations.

Other causes of body aches to be aware of:

allergies;

diabetes;

neuroses;

blood diseases;

neoplasms;

chronic bowel disease;

impaired metabolism.

To get rid of pain, you need to remove its cause. That is why it is important to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of malaise.

How to remove pain in joints and muscles with a cold?

For mild or moderate muscle and joint pain, doctors recommend the use of drugs with paracetamol. They have a double effect: they anesthetize and lower the temperature. Paracetamol is considered safe for the treatment of fever in children and adults⁵.

Coldrex is a complex remedy with paracetamol that can be used to combat common symptoms of SARS and flu.

The warming drink is suitable for adults and children from 6 years old⁷. It helps to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of a cold and maintain the natural fluid balance in the body. An additional plus – Coldrex does not provoke drowsiness.

Active ingredients:

• Paracetamol reduces fever and helps with headache, joint and muscle pain.

• Phenylephrine reduces swelling of the nasal mucosa and facilitates nasal breathing.

• Vitamin C fills the increased need for it in case of “colds” and flu.

Choose your Coldrex

Additional tips

To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, such as pain in the joints and muscles, and improve well-being during illness, you can use simple recommendations:

Drink plenty of water. The greater the intoxication of the body, the worse the state of health. Therefore, a sufficient amount of liquid is needed to quickly remove toxins from the body. The best option is water without gas and drinks that do not contain sugar (unsweetened compotes, herbal tea).

Fresh air. In the room where a person is during an illness, the level of carbon dioxide in the air gradually increases. This can result in headache, increased drowsiness and irritability. As a result, the body needs to expend extra energy to get the oxygen it needs. For this reason, you need to regularly ventilate the room, regardless of the season.

Proper nutrition. During the period of illness, our body spends a lot of energy fighting bacteria or a virus. That is why you should not overload the digestive system – before recovery, it is better to exclude rich meat broths, strong coffee, chocolate, spicy, fried and canned foods, fast food. Choose foods that are easy and quick to digest: fresh vegetables and fruits, yogurt, kefir, eggs, lean meats.

Important! To help the immune system during colds and flu, it is useful to consume foods high in vitamin C: rose hips, cranberries, lemons and other citrus fruits.

SARS and influenza are often named among the main causes of body aches. But do not rush to make a diagnosis yourself. To quickly eliminate symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor and accurately determine the cause of the pain. Only a specialist will prescribe appropriate tests and effective treatment.

Tags

Symptoms

Treatment for adults

References

1. Shikh E.V./Vitamins with antioxidant properties in the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory infections in children/ Issues of modern pediatrics. 2013;12(4):142-147/
2. Instructions for Coldrex preparations – official website of Coldrex

Useful information

Coldrex against colds

No one expects a cold “to visit”: it always comes unexpectedly and can easily disrupt your plans.

Learn more

Colds: signs, symptoms and treatment

The unpleasant symptoms of a cold are familiar to everyone: nasal congestion, “itchy” throat and a feeling of weakness. They can easily spoil the mood and change important plans.

Learn more

Prevention of colds, flu and ARVI

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) or the common cold, as we used to call them, are the most common diseases in our country.

Learn more

What to do at the first sign of a cold

Traditionally, a cold is an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI), which has a mild course, often associated with the general hypothermia of the body.

Learn more

Colds without fever

The onset of the cold season means the arrival of the season of colds.

Learn more

Influenza: signs, symptoms and treatment

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness that can affect the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Learn more

If you have questions

You can ask them via the feedback form

How to tell the flu from a cold

The common cold is often confused with the flu, mistaking one for the other. Learn to discern to avoid complications.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARVI), commonly referred to as the common word “cold”, are caused by a huge number of viruses and account for approximately three-quarters of all infectious diseases on the planet.

How is ARVI transmitted?
They are transmitted mainly by airborne droplets, that is, through the air along with the sputum of a sick person when he sneezes or coughs.

Influenza epidemic
Viruses cause inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, throat, trachea and bronchi.

SARS is not the flu

The common cold is often confused with the flu, mistaking one for the other. It should be remembered that ARVI is a more harmless disease that usually passes quickly, is easily cured and rarely gives complications.
The illness caused by the influenza virus is more severe and can lead to complications such as pneumonia.

Most important flu symptoms
Call a doctor urgently if you or your family have these symptoms:

– a sharp increase in temperature to 39-40 degrees,
– severe muscle pain (“body aches”),
– dry and painful cough in the absence of a runny nose,
– severe weakness.

What if SARS?

Slight fever, sore throat and runny nose? These are typical symptoms of SARS. This disease is treated quite simply.

Unfortunately, it is customary to either “walk” a cold on one’s feet, or to kill it with a set of cough tablets, antibiotics and drops for a runny nose taken at the same time. Without calling a doctor.

Important! Antibiotics do not treat SARS or flu! They are used only as directed by a doctor in the event that diseases cause complications.

Take your time with your medications

Nasal drops can’t be easier to choose from. Almost all drugs offered on the market include vasoconstrictors that allow you to remove the swelling of the mucous membrane and save a person from a “clogged” nose.

These drugs are contraindicated in children under six years of age, pregnant and lactating women, and older people, because the vasoconstrictor components can cause an increase in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate.

That is why even with a “banal” runny nose, medicines should be selected by a doctor. He can professionally evaluate individual indications and contraindications.

Is it necessary to lower the temperature?

The recommendations of the World Health Organization say that the temperature should not be brought down below 38. 5 degrees.

This temperature is a protective reaction of the body to the invasion of infection. After all, bacteria and viruses reproduce equally poorly both in the cold and at elevated temperatures.

In addition, a high temperature is a sign that the infection still exists in the body and needs to be fought.

Who needs to bring down the temperature?

It is necessary to lower the temperature:

– for children and adults with heart disease (angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, heart defects),

– for those suffering from chronic bronchitis, obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma,

– for people with diseases of the central nervous system, for example, those suffering from epilepsy.

Important! Temperature is always a reason to see a doctor.

Help yourself

– Don’t be a hero. At the first sign of SARS, refuse to go to work and stay at home. Lie down more, try not to read or watch TV. Postpone the solution of work issues by phone. Allow yourself to get sick, and the immune system not to be distracted by other tasks, except for healing.

– Drink more. A healthy body needs at least one and a half liters of water per day. With illness, the need for fluid increases. Try to drink warm drinks and avoid alcohol. Alcohol does not cure a cold, but, on the contrary, lowers the body’s defenses. An attempt to cure with “vodka with pepper” can lead to a delay in the healing process.