Page 36 - BusinessWest January 9, 2023

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Tripledemic
Part of the reason why RSV is a common virus in children is the fact that it can be easily transmitted. It can spread directly from person to per- son — when an infected person coughs or sneezes, sending virus-contain- ing droplets into the air, where they can infect a person who inhales them, as well as by hand-to-nose, hand-to-mouth, and hand-to-eye contact. The virus can be spread indirectly when someone touches any object infected with the virus, such as toys, countertops, doorknobs, or pens, and can live on environmental surfaces for several hours.
The CDC’s advice on limiting the spread is the same as any virus- prevention measure: covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve, washing hands often with soap and water, avoiding touching one’s face, disinfecting surfaces, staying home when sick, and avoiding close contact
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to two weeks,” he explained.
Those who have a higher risk for severe illness caused by RSV include
premature babies, very young infants, children younger than age 2 with chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease, children with weakened immune systems, and children who have neuromuscular disorders. Other at-risk groups include adults age 65 and older, 177,000 of whom are hos- pitalized and 14,000 of whom die from RSV each year in the U.S.; people with chronic lung disease or certain heart problems; and people with weakened immune systems, such as from HIV infection, organ trans- plants, or certain medical treatments, like chemotherapy.
The COVID pandemic has had a big impact on the normal pediatric respiratory illness cycles, O’Reilly noted. “Early in the pandemic, mask- ing and social distancing helped to limit the spread of respiratory viruses such as RSV. Because there were so few cases of RSV in the first two years of the pandemic, most infants and toddlers did not get the natural immunity that their body would have produced if they had natural illness. That left a larger number of children more vulnerable to getting RSV ill- ness, which is what we are seeing now in the community.”
There is no vaccine yet to prevent RSV infection, but there is a medi- cation, called palivzumab, that can help protect some babies at high risk for severe RSV disease, O’Reilly noted. Healthcare providers usually administer it to premature infants and young children with certain heart and lung conditions as a series of monthly shots during RSV season.
The severity of symptoms can vary depending on the age of the child and whether he or she has any chronic medical problems, such as asthma or premature birth. Bacterial infections such as ear infections and pneumo- nia may develop in children with RSV infection.
At first, it’s all about symptom management for young children with RSV, O’Reilly said, including keeping the child hydrated and the fever under control. “If a child is having high fevers without relief for multiple days, or increased difficulty with breathing, such as wheezing, grunting, or ongoing flaring of the nostrils is observed along with a child’s runny nose and cough, then a call to your pediatrician is warranted.”
DR. JOHN O’REILLY
“Because there were so few cases of RSV in the first two years of the pandemic, most infants and toddlers did not get the natural immunity that their body would have produced if they had natu- ral illness. That left a larger number of children more vulnerable to getting RSV illness, which is
what we are seeing now in the community.”
with sick people, as well as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and utensils with others.
“The good news,” O’Reilly said, “is that most infants and children over- come RSV infections without any long-term complications, as RSV infec- tions can often be relatively asymptomatic and even go unnoticed.”
Safety First
After almost three years of COVID, it’s easy to push those common- sense cautions aside, but that would be a mistake, said Dr. Vincent Meoli,
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