¿Tiene tos, secreción nasal, dolor de garganta y fiebre? It Might Be RSV Virus
16 de julio de 2021
In June, staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent a Health Advisory requesting that clinicians and caregivers watch for the respiratory syncytial virus, usually known as RSV, an infection that puts thousands of toddlers and senior citizens in the hospital each year with pneumonia and deep lung inflammation. According to the CDC, RSV results in roughly 58,000 hospitalizations and 100 to 500 deaths each year among children under five as well as 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths among adults 65 and above.
La agencia advirtió que el VRS estaba apareciendo en 13 estados del sur y el sureste, y que los médicos debían hacer pruebas para detectar el virus si los niños presentaban estornudos, sibilancias o poco apetito y la garganta inflamada.
Usually a winter infection, RSV is usually gone by June. Instead, this year, it is spreading—and has since continued to spread across the country, and to northern Nevada.
“Sabemos que muchos de los buenos hábitos de higiene que desarrollamos para defendernos de la COVID-19 alteraron el panorama viral en los últimos 16 meses, y suprimieron las infecciones de casi todos los patógenos. Now RSV’s out-of-season return tells us that we need to continue to be on the alert,” says Robert Thole, MD, a physician with Renown Urgent Care. “We are surprised to be seeing so many kids with RSV right now.”
“We ask parents and caregivers to keep a watchful eye out for a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Symptoms are usually mild and resemble those of the common cold. RSV infection sometimes leads to bronchiolitis, pneumonia, or both. Symptoms of these complications include; difficulty breathing; wheezing; coughing that is getting worse; lethargy, increased tiredness, decreased interest in surroundings, or loss of interest in food,” explains Dr. Thole, who is board certified in family medicine.
Catching and spreading the virus
People with RSV infection may spread the virus through their secretions (saliva or mucus) when they cough, sneeze, or talk. You can catch the virus by:
- Touching an object or surface contaminated with the virus and then touching your nose, eyes, or mouth without first washing your hands. El virus puede sobrevivir durante más de 6 horas en las encimeras y otras superficies firmes, como los picaportes, y durante 30 minutos en las manos, la ropa o el papel tisú.
- Close contact. If an infected person coughs or sneezes near you, you could breathe in RSV that is in his or her saliva or mucus.
- The virus spreads easily in crowded settings, such as childcare facilities, preschools, and nursing homes. Children attending school often spread the virus to their parents and siblings. El período de incubación (el tiempo que transcurre desde la exposición al VRS hasta que tiene síntomas) varía entre dos y 8 días, pero generalmente es de entre 4 y 6 días.
Las personas tienen más probabilidades de contagiar el virus durante los primeros días tras el inicio de los síntomas de la infección por VRS y siguen contagiando durante 8 días. Los bebés y los niños pequeños pueden propagar el virus durante 3 o 4 semanas como mínimo. Most children and adults feel better after a week or two.
Treatment
For an otherwise healthy child who has symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, such as a cough or runny nose, home treatment usually is all that is needed. It is important to watch for signs of complications, such as dehydration. Watchful waiting may not be a good choice when your child with an upper respiratory infection has an increased risk for complications. Watch your child closely if there are symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. If symptoms get worse or new symptoms develop, see a doctor right away.
There is no vaccine and few specific treatments aside from supportive care, such as administering pain relievers and fluids. In the most severe cases, some children or adults might need additional oxygen.
Not just in kids, older adults at risk
Dr. Thole explains, “RSC is not only seen in children. Los adultos mayores de 65 años tienen un mayor riesgo de complicaciones tras la infección por el VRS. Pneumonia is a particular risk, especially if other health problems exist, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure. It may take older adults longer to recover from RSV infection and its complications than people in other age groups.”
Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if:
- Your child has severe trouble breathing.
- Your child's breathing has stopped.
- Start rescue breathing.
Call your doctor now if your baby or child has moderate trouble breathing.
Call a doctor if your child:
- Breathes slightly faster than normal and seems to be getting worse. La mayoría de los niños sanos respiran menos de 40 veces por minuto.
- Has cold symptoms that become severe.
- Has shallow coughing, which continues throughout the day and night.
- Has a poor appetite or is being less active than usual.
- Has any trouble breathing.
Hospitalization
Doctors sometimes give a monoclonal antibody treatment to high-risk babies throughout the respiratory season to prevent them from catching the virus or developing a severe infection. Some hospitals have started to increase use of the prophylaxis in response to the recent uptick in RSV cases. “Those kids were being protected,” said Kristina Deeter, MD who was quoted in a July 1st Wall St. Journal article on this topic. Dr. Deeter is a pediatric intensivist and medical director at Renown Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care and Hospitalist Medicine. Dr. Deeter, who also oversees Pediatrix Medical Group’s critical-care team in dozens of pediatric intensive care units across the country, said hospitals are also considering taking additional precautions in the neonatal intensive-care unit similar to some wintertime protocols.
At Renown Children’s Hospital, there were no children hospitalized with RSV throughout the winter season, Dr. Deeter said, when there are normally hundreds of cases in our county- many of which do not need to be hospitalized.” Se ha informado un total de 31 casos en el condado de Washoe, Nevada, desde abril, y 26 de estos casos ocurrieron dentro de las últimas tres semanas.
Preventing infection
To prevent infection, or at least to mitigate them, wear masks, stay home when sick, and washing hands could make a difference in how the next viral season unfolds. For more information on RSV, visit renown.org.
Renown Urgent Care
Renown Urgent Care is available for medical assistance, 7 days a week at 11 locations across northern Nevada providing treatment for a wide range of minor injuries, illnesses and medical concerns that are urgent but not life-threatening. Si requiere atención médica en el mismo día, puede evitar los tiempos de espera prolongados y los altos precios de la sala de emergencias en 13 ubicaciones convenientes, incluidas Reno, Sparks, Carson City, USA Parkway, Fallon y Fernley. You can walk-in or book ahead online.
Acerca de Renown Health
Renown Health es una red de atención de la salud integrada de administración local sin fines de lucro que brinda servicios en el norte de Nevada, Lake Tahoe y el noreste de California. Renown es uno de los mayores empleadores privados de la región y cuenta con una fuerza laboral de más de 7,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, the area’s most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown tiene una larga trayectoria y un compromiso de larga data con la mejora de la atención y la salud de nuestra comunidad. Visite renown.org para obtener más información.