What is RSV?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that infects the lungs and airways. A baby or child with this infection may have
one or more of these:
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cough
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runny nose
-
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sometimes, wheezing
Because these are common, it is easy to mistake RSV for the flu.
In most cases, you can take care of your child with RSV at home as long as his colour is good, he is not having trouble breathing,
and he is drinking and peeing as usual.
Who gets RSV?
Most children will catch colds caused by RSV by the age of 2. Children are more likely to catch it during the RSV season,
when the virus is most active. This season lasts from November to April.
In healthy adults, RSV is not often serious. But adults can pass on the virus to children.
RSV can be serious
Some babies and children can develop a severe form of RSV. They may have a bad chest infection. This can turn into pneumonia
or bronchiolitis.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that causes fluid to collect in the air sacs. You can learn more about how to recognize
and treat this lung infection in "Pneumonia."
Bronchiolitis is swelling and irritation of the small air passages in the lungs. You can learn more about how to recognize
and treat this lung infection in "Bronchiolitis."
These illnesses can be mild or very serious. Your child may need to visit your family doctor or paediatrician or go to the
emergency department.
Your baby or child has a higher risk of getting very ill from RSV if any of the following are true:
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Your baby was born prematurely, before 33 weeks of pregnancy, and is less than 6 months old at the start of RSV season.
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Your child is less than 2 years old and has certain lung conditions. Your child’s doctor will speak to you about this.
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Your child is less than 2 years old and has certain types of
congenital heart disease. Your child’s doctor will speak to you
about this.
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Your child has other specific medical problems that your doctor will talk to you about.
RSV can spread by contact
RSV can be spread in the following ways:
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by touching
mucus from the nose or mouth of a person who has the virus
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by touching soiled tissues, surfaces, clothes, and toys a person with the virus has touched
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by touching the unwashed hands of a person with the virus
RSV can live on countertops and other hard objects for more than 6 hours. It can live on clothes and hands for up to 1 hour.
After someone is exposed to RSV, it can take 2 to 8 days before they become sick from the virus.
Preventing RSV
You can help stop the spread of RSV with these tips:
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Wash your hands with soap and water or by using alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after touching your child. Ask others
to do the same.
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Follow good respiratory habits like coughing or sneezing into your sleeve instead of your hands and putting used tissue into
the garbage right away.
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In hospital, stay away from your premature baby if you are sneezing, coughing, or have a runny nose or a fever.
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Keep your baby away from crowds and anyone with sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, or a fever, especially during RSV season.
This is usually from November to April. Infections spread more easily when there are more people around.
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Clean surfaces in your home that are touched often on a regular basis, more often during RSV season.
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Do not let anyone smoke near your baby.
Babies at high risk need medicine during RSV season
There is no medicine that will stop your baby catching RSV. However, it is recommended that babies who are at risk of serious
RSV infections take a medicine called palivizumab (say: pal-ee-VEE-zu-mab). The brand name is Synagis. This is sometimes called
RSV prophylaxis (say: pro-full-AX-iss), which means "prevention."
To keep your baby protected, the medicine must be given by a doctor or nurse once a month during the RSV season (usually from
November to April). Your doctor will decide if your child needs this medicine.
When we are infected, our immune systems make molecules called antibodies that help fight the virus. Palivizumab works by
giving your baby extra antibodies. These passive antibodies help your baby’s immune system fight the RSV disease. Palivizumab does
not contain any active RSV disease.
The antibodies only last about 30 days. This means that your child needs a dose of the medicine every month during RSV season,
from November to April. If you delay or skip the next appointment, the medicine stops working. Your child will not be protected
against the virus.
Palivizumab is given by a needle (injection) into a muscle. It does not interfere with normal childhood immunizations.
Reactions are rare
The most common side effects of palivizumab are fever, nervousness, or redness at the injection site. Serious allergic reactions
are very rare. Ask your baby's doctor or nurse for the most recent information.
Remind your baby's doctor or nurse if your baby needs medicine to prevent RSV
Your baby can take the medicine in the hospital, the doctor’s office, or an RSV clinic. A doctor or a nurse can give it.
To help your baby get the right treatment each month, you should do these things:
You can also print and use this page to keep track of your baby's RSV treatment: RSV Prophylaxis Record.
At the moment, there are no medicines that can totally prevent your child from getting RSV. An adult or child may get RSV
several times.
Just wearing a mask will not stop the spread of RSV.
Treatment
When a child is fighting RSV, treatment is mainly to relieve the symptoms of the virus. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses.
They will not help your child get better faster.
Key points
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RSV is a virus. It can cause serious lung infections in some babies and children.
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If your baby is at risk for serious lung infections, your doctor may prescribe medicine to help prevent or fight the virus.
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If your baby is at risk, your baby will need treatment once a month during RSV season (November to April). Remind your doctor
that your baby needs the medicine.
