As in most of the country, Santa Barbara has increasing numbers of cases of RSV, or respiratory syncytial (pronounced sync-SIH-shuhl) virus compared to last year. Nationwide, RSV arrived two months ahead of schedule. Here in Santa Barbara, Cottage Health has treated 259 cases this October and November, compared to 61 RSV cases during the same months last year, said Dr. Jenna Holmen, who is a specialist in pediatric infectious disease at Cottage.
While RSV is a common respiratory virus among 2-year-olds, it can be a problem for babies younger than two months old, preemies, and older adults and children with asthma or chronic lung disease. RSV causes cold symptoms that can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia, or difficulty breathing. With the masking and quarantining of the COVID-19 years, fewer cases of RSV and also flu were reported during the past two years, and both viruses were expected to resurge this winter.
The common RSV symptoms are those of a cold: stuffy or runny nose, cough, headache, and low-grade fever. According to Sansum Clinic, most people are contagious for three to eight days, and symptoms often resolve after a week or two.
But a bronchial wheeze and fast breathing can also be common with RSV. Cottage Hospital stated that the symptom parents should watch for is the child struggling to breathe. That would require a visit to the emergency room or to a doctor.
Sansum Clinic’s RSV webpage advises: “In very young infants, the only symptom may be irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties. For infants, preemies, and those with high-risk conditions like asthma, RSV can create enough mucus and inflammation in the lungs to result in hospitalization to provide things like extra monitoring, breathing treatments, deep suctioning, supplemental oxygen, intravenous fluids, and sometimes respiratory support in severe cases.”
Both the very young and the vulnerable are susceptible to severe RSV disease. California’s Public Health department (CDPH) reported the first death of a child younger than 5 on November 14. More recently, a child younger than 4 died in a Riverside hospital on November 21 after being ill for several days, according to media reports; the Riverside University Health System stated the death was “possibly linked to” RSV.
Among children younger than 5 years old, 100-300 deaths occur annually from RSV, according to the Centers for Disease Control. As many as 6,000-10,000 adults over the age of 65 die annually. (Comparatively, heart disease claims nearly 700,000 adults; nephritis, or kidney disease, 52,000.)
No vaccine is currently available to combat RSV, the CDPH noted in a press statement. Like many respiratory diseases, RSV spreads through coughs, sneezes, and direct contact with an infected person. It can also live for several hours on hard surfaces, like crib rails and doorknobs.
State health officials urged adults to protect young children by being vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 themselves. CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón added, “It’s also important to follow basic prevention tips like frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, and staying home when sick to slow the spread of germs.”
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