Rise of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Cases: A Surge of Cases in Infants and Children Under 5 in the United States
By Fatimah Amer
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms in infants and older adults. Most children affected are younger than 2 years old. While self-care measures can help relieve discomfort, RSV can cause a severe lung infection, bronchiolitis (inflammation of small airways) and pneumonia (CDC, 2022). People at high risk of the virus include infants, premature babies, young children (especially those with chronic lung or heart disease), or immunocompromised people.
Discovered in 1965, RSV causes regular seasonal outbreaks in all age groups. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, seasonal patterns of RSV remained consistent. Most children and infants have at least one RSV episode, which helps them build immunity. However, RSV circulation patterns have been disrupted recently due to the loosening of COVID-19 mitigation efforts (New York-Presbyterian, 2022). There has been a national spike in RSV cases in the United States. In fact, from October 15th to 22nd, there were 7,333 positive RSV cases, compared to 1,241 cases in mid-August (CDC, 2022).
Symptoms & Transmission
RSV symptoms include runny nose, decreased appetite, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and fever. They usually start showing after 4-6 days of infection. In infants, however, the only notable symptoms that appear are breathing difficulties and irritability (CDC, 2022). Infected people may be contagious two days before symptoms start showing and are usually contagious for 3-8 days. Infants and adults with a weak immune system can spread the virus for up to 4 weeks, even after showing symptoms of RSV (CDC, 2022). The virus spreads through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of infected individuals. It can also survive on hard surfaces for several hours and typically lives on soft, moist surfaces for a shorter time (NY State, 2022).
Diagnosis & Treatment
Healthcare providers diagnose RSV through the appearance of typical symptoms and the patient's medical history. RSV diagnosis is confirmed using white blood cell count and virus screening tests. Usually, only severe illness or outbreak investigations require specific laboratory tests, such as CT scans, imaging tests, or chest x-rays (American Lung Association, 2022). Patients are expected to recover fully, as most infections will go away within one to two weeks with the help of fever reducers or pain relievers to manage symptoms. However, a few days of hospitalization is needed for infants and older adults with severe cases to recover, with the help of IV fluids for hydration, breathing machines, or oxygen humidifiers (American Lung Association, 2022).
As flu season is already hitting hard nationwide, it is vital to take precautions by wearing masks and regularly sanitizing to prevent RSV infection. Respiratory viruses are circulating across the United States at high rates, and although most people can recover quickly from them, it could lead to some needing medical attention. Understanding what RSV is and raising awareness of preventive measures is essential to prevent severe cases and increased transmission of RSV.
References:
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 24). Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/symptoms.html
RSV Treatment and Prevention. American Lung Association. (2022, September 6). Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/rsv/treatment
RSV Cases on the Rise: What to Know. New York Presbyterian: Health matters. (n.d). Retrieved November 9 2022, from https://healthmatters.nyp.org/why-rsv-is-on-the-rise/
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Mayo Clinic (2022 October 13) Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus/symptoms -causes/syc-20353098
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Infection. New York State. (2022 October) Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/respiratory_syncytial_virus/
Fatimah is a sophomore at BASIS Scottsdale, who is currently conducting bioinformatic research at ASU. Passionate about Global health and Economics, she has published review articles on epidemic viral outbreaks