How to Treat RSV at Home for Children and Adults

The super contagious virus known as RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) usually begins to spread in fall and reaches peak levels in the winter. Nearly everyone gets it by the time they reach their second birthday and many people are infected more than once — maybe even several times — throughout their lifetime.

Studies have shown that children have a 10 to 20 percent chance of getting sick with RSV each year, with the rates in adults slightly lower. It’s even possible to get RSV multiple times within one season (though symptoms tend to be milder after the first bout), according to Mayo Clinic.

While RSV can cause severe and even deadly complications, particularly in high-risk groups (babies, older adults, and individuals who have chronic medical conditions or are immunocompromised), the virus is not typically a serious threat to most other people.

In low-risk groups RSV usually causes nothing more than cold-like symptoms — runny or stuffy nose, coughing, headache, low-grade fever, a sore throat — that go away on their own in a week or two. Babies with RSV may lose their appetite because they are so congested.

How to Treat RSV at Home

If you or your child are not at high risk from RSV, you can usually ride out a mild infection at home with so-called supportive care — over-the-counter medications and home remedies aimed at managing symptoms.

“The type of supportive care that’s recommended can depend on individual symptoms,” says David Banach, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and head of infection prevention at UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut. For example, there are over-the-counter drugs that can help with nasal congestion, alleviate coughing, or reduce pain or fever, he explains.

In most cases, there are three main things that can help someone with RSV feel better, says Sharon Nachman, MD, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases and professor of pediatrics at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine in Stony Brook, New York. They are:

• Lots of fluids (it’s especially important to prevent dehydration)
• Rest
• Tylenol (acetaminophen) to reduce fever and pain

What about antibiotics? “Antibiotics aren’t prescribed for RSV because it’s a viral illness, not a bacterial infection,” says Dr. Nachman.

In general, recommendations about RSV home treatments are the same for adults and older children, says Nachman. One important warning is that children under age 19 should never be given aspirin because of the risk of a life-threatening metabolic condition called Reye’s syndrome, according to Stanford Medicine.

Although children’s acetaminophen or ibuprofen is safe (follow the directions on the label), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend over-the-counter medicines to treat cough and cold symptoms in kids under age 2 because of potentially serious side effects.

If you aren’t sure about which over-the-counter medications are safe for children, check with their healthcare provider.

Natural Remedies for RSV

There are a number of nonmedication at-home remedies that can help a person with mild RSV feel better, says Nachman. These include:

• Honey Nachman typically recommends honey to soothe a sore throat or help with a cough. “Adults can put it in tea, and children, provided they are over age 1, can have a scoop in their juice. However, don’t give honey to an infant or baby less than 12 months old,” she says. A bacteria called Clostridium botulinum can be present in honey and cause infant botulism in babies under 1 year old, according to KidsHealth.
• Vaporizers and Humidifiers “I recommend these because they do get a lot of water into the air. For kids and adults who are ‘breathing water off’ because they are breathing fast, that will help their secretions be a bit wetter,” says Nachman.
• Baths or Showers The steamy air produced by baths and showers can help clear congestion, says Nachman.
• Saline Nose Drops or Sprays These can help keep nasal passages moist and help with stuffiness, according to the FDA.
• Nasal Suctioning With a Bulb Syringe Used with or without saline nose drops, these devices can help relieve stuffiness and are good for babies.
• Deep Breathing “For adults or children who are old enough, they can take deep breaths and blow them out. That makes them cough and get rid of the thick, sticky secretions in their lungs,” says Nachman.

Nachman doesn’t recommend nebulizer treatments for RSV. “They don’t seem to make you get better faster and they can be difficult to use,” she says.

When a Baby or Adult With RSV Needs to Go to the Hospital

Anyone with RSV who has difficulty breathing or a high fever, or develops a blue tone to their skin (especially the lips and the nail beds), will require immediate medical attention, according to Mayo Clinic.

“Watch how your baby breathes,” says Nachman. “If they are having trouble, they may need to be tested and go on oxygen.” This is true for older children and adults as well: If they are working hard to breathe, they may need supplemental oxygen, says Nachman.

It’s estimated that over 100,000 and possibly more than 200,000 people (mostly babies and older adults) are hospitalized in the U. S. each year because of RSV, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), often for severe infections such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) or bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs).

As many as 10,000 adults 65 and over and 300 children younger than 5 die from RSV each year, the CDC estimates.

Adults and babies hospitalized with RSV may receive:

• Intravenous (IV) fluids
• Humidified oxygen
• Mechanical ventilation (from a so-called breathing machine)

For immunocompromised patients, doctors might opt to use the antiviral medication ribavirin or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

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Treatment for RSV at Home – Cleveland Clinic

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is peaking sooner than normal, causing concern among doctors, older adults and parents of children who’ve come into contact with the respiratory virus. While anyone can get RSV, and it typically goes away on its own in under two weeks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV results in about 58,000 hospitalizations and up to 300 deaths among children under 5 each year. For adults 65 and older, RSV causes 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths each year.

These numbers are especially concerning when recent surges in RSV have led to hospitals being at or above capacity across the nation with pediatric patients well before the normal winter peak.

As of mid-October, more than 7,300 tests came back positive for RSV, according to the CDC. That’s an 83% increase since late August — and some doctors are expecting that number to double in the coming weeks. Although the direct cause for the surge isn’t known, there may be several reasons at play.

COVID-19 has caused a disruption in flu seasons over the last couple of years, leading to fewer cases of the flu and RSV until recent months. One reason doctors think the new surge is happening is that we’ve been doing a great job of wearing masks, washing our hands and isolating when sick. Those practices may have decreased some of our immunity to other respiratory illnesses — especially younger children and infants, who would have otherwise had normal interactions with RSV.

“Our youngest age group has largely been sheltered from viruses due to the pandemic,” says family medicine physician Neha Vyas, MD. “Now, as they’re returning to daycare and other pre-pandemic activities, they are being exposed to these viruses and haven’t developed the immunity to them that normally occurs.”

As RSV cases continue to climb, it becomes increasingly important to keep your children home when they get sick and treat their symptoms as they happen to decrease the impact made on pediatric hospitals.

But how do you treat RSV at home, and when should you take your child to the hospital for urgent medical care? Dr. Vyas explains a few ways you can comfort your sick child and when it’s time to seek medical assistance.

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The best ways to comfort your child

Unlike the flu and COVID-19 (which have similar symptoms) there’s no RSV vaccine for children and there’s no antiviral treatment. In most cases, RSV will go away on its own after a few days and up to two weeks after infection.

Hearing that there’s no treatment for RSV is a total downer. No one likes to feel sick. But as a parent, you can minimize the spread of RSV by getting your child tested, keeping them home when they’re sick and treating their symptoms as they occur. Here are a few things you can do to provide your child some comfort while you’re both waiting for the virus to subside:

Let them rest

This is perhaps the easiest thing your child can do when they have RSV. Make them comfortable and allow them to rest when they’re feeling tired. If you can, minimize their need to move up and down stairs, participate in physical activities or do chores around the house. Their immune system is working on fighting off RSV, so the least they can do is give their body time to recover.

“Rest is important,” says Dr. Vyas. “Prioritizing sleep, especially when they are ill, will allow for a quicker recovery, so maintain a proper nap and bedtime schedule.”

Give them plenty of fluids

Kids with RSV will often lose their appetite and eat less or not feel like eating at all. When this happens, it’s so important to keep them hydrated, especially if your child is an infant. Pedialyte® and other fluids with electrolytes are good to have, but in most cases, water is enough.

“Electrolyte solutions like Pedialyte and Gatorade® will help replenish minerals lost in perspiration and illness,” says Dr. Vyas. “Soft foods, broth and soups are also nourishing.”

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Manage their fever

To reduce a fever, you’ll want to maintain a comfortable room temperature. Give your child blankets when they’re cold or have shivers and give them ice packs when they’re feeling hot. In most cases, a fever will break on its own, but you can also use over-the-counter fever reducers and pain medication to help manage the fever and reduce any body aches they’re having.

“It’s important to keep an eye on your child’s temperature,” advises Dr. Vyas. “Temperatures above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) are concerning and should be brought to the attention of your healthcare professional. ”

Why you should stay home if you have RSV-like symptoms

If you or your child has RSV, you could be contagious for up to three to eight days. Some infants and people with weakened immune systems can even spread the virus for up to four weeks even when they’re not showing symptoms. In the most serious cases, RSV can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis. That’s why it’s important that you wait to take your child back to school or daycare until their symptoms have fully subsided. And it’s also important that you stay home from work and avoid gathering in public, too.

“RSV can also occur in adults,” notes Dr. Vyas. “It usually looks like the common cold, so pay particular attention to worrisome signs like trouble breathing or dehydration.”

When to seek urgent medical care

What makes RSV so dangerous is that it has the ability to inflame and clog your child’s airways. The smaller or younger your child is, the more at-risk they are for having problems breathing. If your child is struggling to breathe or begins wheezing, you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider or pediatrician and have them seen right away.

“Pay attention to your child’s breathing,” stresses Dr. Vyas. “If they’re having to use their neck muscles or their chest muscles to take breaths, or they’re breathing fast, or if their lips seem to look blue, seek medical attention immediately.”

Respiratory diseases, treatment: respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory diseases, treatment: respiratory syncytial virus

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8 (800) 707 71 81

About the disease
About treatment

Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RS-infection)

Frequent lower respiratory infections in children and adults may be the result of infection with the syncytial virus. Syncytial virus (RSV), for which there is no vaccine, commonly affects newborns and young children, causing respiratory failure. Peak incidence occurs in winter and early spring. Without timely treatment, the disease caused by the syncytial virus can develop into chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

Facts to know

• The source of infection is a sick person and a virus carrier
• Mechanism of infection – aerogenic
• Transmission route – airborne
• 1-2 days before the onset of the first symptoms, the patient becomes contagious and remains so for 3-8 days
• At a heating temperature of 55-60°C, the virus disappears within 5 minutes, when boiled instantly

• Immunity after MS infection is weak, not more than 1 year
• Freezing (minus 70°) virus active, but not re-freezing
• Before the age of 3, almost all children have already had a respiratory syncytial infection
• Average duration of illness 14 to 21 days
• 5-6 hours it can be present in viable condition on clothing, toys and other items

Symptoms of RS virus infection

• Headache
• Lethargy
• Mild intoxication
• Rhinitis
• Dry paroxysmal cough
• In some cases, short-lived fever

Cure

About the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus

Treatment of respiratory diseases consists in bed rest, eating food rich in vitamins, prescribing etiotropic and antibacterial therapy for severe and prolonged forms of bronchiolitis.

Prophylaxis

Non-specific prophylaxis is the timely isolation of the patient until his full recovery. During outbreaks of infection, special attention should be paid to sanitary and hygienic measures in children’s institutions, work groups and at home.

galavit in MS infection

Immunoprophylaxis plays an important role in preventing such diseases. An immunomodulator with anti-inflammatory properties Galavit is recommended for children and adults suffering from frequent respiratory diseases, especially during seasons of increased morbidity. Clinical trials have shown that taking the drug Galavit allows not only to avoid the occurrence of infection, but also to promote a speedy recovery.

Galavit restores the protective properties of the body at any stage of the disease, enhances the effect of antiviral drugs and at the same time has an anti-inflammatory effect. Galavit is a reliable means of preventing respiratory diseases.

How to use Galavit

For prevention:

in the interrelapse period to maintain clinical remission

– 100 mg / day

For treatment:

First 5 days

5 doses of 1 00 mg/day daily

Next 10 days

5 doses of 100 mg/day every other day

Next 15 days

5 doses of 100 mg/day every 2 days

Get a free

consultation with a specialist

on the use of Galavit for prevention

Benefits of using

Galavita in treatment

Reliable and proven

IN CLINICAL PRACTICE SINCE 1997

compatible with any type of therapy

Can be prescribed without immunogram

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symptoms and dangers for children

In the United States, an outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among children was recorded. Andrey Pozdnyakov, an infectious disease doctor, chief physician of the clinical diagnostic laboratory of INVITRO-Siberia LLC, told Izvestia on Wednesday, February 8, about what kind of virus it is and why it threatens children, and whether it can spread in Russia.

According to him, this is a fairly long-known virus that causes severe illness mainly in children. Due to the anatomical features of the respiratory tract, it quickly descends and causes bronchitis with varying degrees of obstruction.

“Sometimes it is possible to develop bronchiolitis – inflammation of the small bronchi, which is characterized by very pronounced hypoxia. The risk group includes children, very elderly people, debilitated bedridden patients who have congestion in the lungs, as well as people with reduced immunity, ”Pozdnyakov specified.

He noted that adults carry respiratory syncytial virus easily, like a common respiratory infection. It is in children that the main percentage of severe forms of the disease, hospitalizations and complications is observed. Complications are associated with the fact that the bronchi, including small ones, are clogged with sputum. This leads to the development of respiratory failure of varying severity, after which hypoxia and the whole complex of severe oxygen starvation of the body occur.

“The main symptoms of the disease in children are fever (most often low) and rapid onset of frequent cough with sputum. Cough with RSV infection is not superficial, not “throat”, but bronchial, as the virus quickly descends and affects the bronchi. With massive damage to the bronchi – a manifestation of respiratory failure: shortness of breath, retraction of the intercostal spaces, sometimes cyanosis – blue skin, including at rest, without physical activity. With timely and proper treatment, the disease proceeds normally, ”said Pozdnyakov.

The infectious disease specialist also noted that it is important to determine the moment when the patient begins to need inpatient treatment. This happens when he needs oxygen support. For any signs of respiratory failure, no matter what degree, the patient must be hospitalized, especially if it is a child, the doctor emphasized.

“The outbreak in the US may be related to prolonged quarantine measures due to COVID-19. Children who stayed at home for a long time did not encounter many viruses and lost their immune response. Now for these children, RSV is new and causes a more severe form of the disease than three years ago,” he said.

As the specialist explained, RSV is an exclusively seasonal infection that occurs during the cold season. There is always a risk of an outbreak at this time, and in Russia this option is also not excluded. At the same time, although the virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, it is not as contagious as the flu, chickenpox or measles.

“The outbreak can be effectively suppressed by applying local quarantine measures by separating contacts. For example, if RSV outbreaks occur in a preschool institution, it will be sufficient to introduce limited quarantine in this group,” Pozdnyakov added.