What parents need to know about RSV
CTV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season is here, and doctors are urging parents to get their infants vaccinated and to be aware of serious symptoms.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season is here, and doctors are urging parents to get their infants vaccinated and to be aware of serious symptoms.
RSV is a common virus that occurs every year, with peak viral season starting around late fall to winter. People struggling with RSV may experience a runny nose, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, fever and feel fatigued. Infants may be irritable, have trouble breathing and have less appetite and energy.
While the virus typically causes symptoms of the common cold, some infants, seniors and immunocompromised people can experience more serious illnesses.
"Young infants or people who are older are at increased risk of significant medical complications," said Dr. Chuck Hui, the chief of infectious diseases with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), in an interview with CTV Morning Live.
"In some children, especially young infants, you can get some lower respiratory tract infection causing difficulty breathing, needing for them to see a physician, sometimes being admitted and sometimes going to the ICU."
Almost 100 per cent of infants will have been infected with the virus by the age of two, according to Hui. He says the main indicator of when an RSV infection is more serious is when a child is having difficulty breathing.
"That's certainly concerning," he said.
