RSV, a common respiratory virus, is spiking nationally and in Oklahoma as well.Health leaders say the last month has seen a particular surge. Cases are up both in children and adults.“RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus and it is a virus that for a lot of people cases something like the common cold,” said Dr. Stephanie DeLeon, a pediatric hospitalist with the University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. She said her hospital has admitted at least 200 kids for RSV.“Our numbers really have just exploded in the last month and we are having what feels like a typical winter season right now in the summer,” she said.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the spike is happening nationally and in Oklahoma. “I think a lot of what people did during the winter to help eliminate the spread of COVID actually helped a lot with the spread of RSV, so social distancing masking washing your hands. We had a lot of siblings that were not in in-person school in the wintertime and so they weren’t able to bring it home to their younger siblings and to babies,” DeLeon said.How dangerous is RSV? Doctors say death in children is rare, but younger children with chronic health problems could have trouble with their lungs.“Your highest risk group is going to be our young infants, and it is not uncommon for those infants to need to be hospitalized. For older kids, it’s typically a common cold-type illness,” DeLeon said.Because cases are rising, she advised parents to keep an eye open for symptoms.“I think it would be good for families to know as we’re talking about going to the doctor, if you are worried that your child is having a lot of difficulty breathing or they’re showing signs of dehydration, that would be a reason to come to the emergency room,” she said.
RSV, a common respiratory virus, is spiking nationally and in Oklahoma as well.
Health leaders say the last month has seen a particular surge. Cases are up both in children and adults.
“RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus and it is a virus that for a lot of people cases something like the common cold,” said Dr. Stephanie DeLeon, a pediatric hospitalist with the University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.
She said her hospital has admitted at least 200 kids for RSV.
“Our numbers really have just exploded in the last month and we are having what feels like a typical winter season right now in the summer,” she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the spike is happening nationally and in Oklahoma.
“I think a lot of what people did during the winter to help eliminate the spread of COVID actually helped a lot with the spread of RSV, so social distancing masking washing your hands. We had a lot of siblings that were not in in-person school in the wintertime and so they weren’t able to bring it home to their younger siblings and to babies,” DeLeon said.
How dangerous is RSV? Doctors say death in children is rare, but younger children with chronic health problems could have trouble with their lungs.
“Your highest risk group is going to be our young infants, and it is not uncommon for those infants to need to be hospitalized. For older kids, it’s typically a common cold-type illness,” DeLeon said.
Because cases are rising, she advised parents to keep an eye open for symptoms.
“I think it would be good for families to know as we’re talking about going to the doctor, if you are worried that your child is having a lot of difficulty breathing or they’re showing signs of dehydration, that would be a reason to come to the emergency room,” she said.