A seasonal virus that takes a toll on young children and elders has returned this fall with a vengeance.
This month the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported rising case numbers and hospitalizations for RSV throughout the state.
According to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, this year's RSV outbreak started earlier than normal and is continuing to grow.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV typically parallels flu season, running from late fall into the spring, but this year's outbreak started earlier than normal, and doctors say this could be because of the pandemic.
"We know in previous years that masks were worn in a lot of our schools and most school districts are not masking at this point, and even in our general public masks are not as commonly worn, so that allows for respiratory viruses to spread easily," said OU Children's Hospital Pediatrician, Dr. Stephanie DeLeon. "And people are going out in public more than they have in the last couple of years during this time of year."
RSV normally causes a mild cold, but for children younger than five, the virus is responsible for 100-300 deaths annually, and up to 80,000 hospitalizations in the US according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
"RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus, and it is a virus that really is quite similar to the common cold, it causes a lot of upper respiratory tract symptoms like coughing, congestion, sneezing, but in younger children, it also can get down into their lungs, and it causes something called bronchiolitis," DeLeon said. "And if babies get that they can have some difficulty breathing and need some oxygen."
For older adults it is even deadlier, a 2022 National Institutes of Health study estimated more than 6,000 people 65 years and older die each year from RSV complications.
Though the virus is contagious, there are some ways you can try to avoid catching it.
"The best thing to try to do is to avoid people who are ill and avoid being exposed," said DeLeon. "Especially if you have a young baby that you know, it's probably under six months of age, it's worth asking those that you're going to be with if anyone is ill and making sure no one is sick before you expose that baby to what potentially could be a very serious virus for them."
Doctors say most cases of RSV can be treated at home, so try and avoid the emergency room if you can.
If you or your child has difficulty breathing seek medical attention immediately.
There currently are no vaccines available for RSV, but research teams worldwide are working on them, including Pfizer, who plans to submit its vaccine to the FDA for approval by the end of the year.
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