Recently, there has been an increase in pediatric fever outpatients in some health facilities, and many children have been infected with RSV. What are the dangers of respiratory syncytial virus? How is it different from the flu and coronavirus? How should parents respond scientifically? Let's take a look at the experts' interpretation.
The symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus infection are mainly manifested as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, sputum production, fever, etc.; RSV is transmitted through droplets and close contact, and infants and young children and the elderly are vulnerable to infection.
Xu Baoping, Director of the Department of Respiratory I, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University: Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common viral pathogen in our children, the most important manifestation is in infants and young children, although it is lower respiratory tract infection bronchitis pneumonia, but in the elderly children the most important is the upper respiratory tract infection, that is, the common cold.
According to experts, in the northern region, respiratory syncytial virus is generally more common in winter and spring. Over the past three years, infection rates have been low as the public has maintained good hygiene practices of wearing masks and washing hands frequently. This year, due to increased public events, the infection rate of respiratory syncytial virus has also increased, and the peak of infection has been relatively delayed.
Xu Baoping, Director of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University: During the three-year new crown epidemic, we have done very good respiratory protection measures to protect our children from being infected with the new crown virus, and at the same time we have also avoided infection with other respiratory viruses, which leads to a decrease in antibodies in our children's bodies, and if exposed to this pathogen, it is easy to become infected.
How to distinguish between influenza, coronavirus and syncytial virus? Experts said that if there is no new coronavirus infection in the family, the child suddenly develops symptoms such as fever and cough, and respiratory syncytial virus infection is more likely. The symptoms of influenza virus infection are relatively severe, mainly high fever, often with symptoms such as body aches, nausea and vomiting, while the typical symptoms of syncytial virus infection are cough, wheezing, etc. RSV infection is a self-limited disease that generally requires only conventional antiviral drugs and cough and phlegm suppressants, and most of the symptoms disappear within 1 to 2 weeks. After infection with respiratory syncytial virus, immunity generally only lasts for a few months, so the child has been infected in the previous year and may be reinfected the next year. To prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection, it is first necessary to practice good hygiene habits.
Xu Baoping, director of the Department of Respiratory Studies, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University: For example, if we maintain proper social distancing, in this season with high incidence of respiratory infections, we go to crowded places less, and we do not advocate going to school or work with illness. (CCTV News Client)