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What is RSV? Why should you care?

When the cold time of the year comes, you may have heard of a virus known as RSV from someone worrying about their children suffering from it or your daily news inflow.

So, What is RSV?

RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial (sin-SISH-Uhl) Virus, is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages. Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Human Orthopneumovirus are other names for it. It is a contagious single-stranded RNA virus that causes upper and lower respiratory tract infections. RSV illness usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but in some cases, it can cause severe, life-threatening symptoms. RSV can affect people of all ages but is more common in children ages 24 months and younger. Because of the underdeveloped immune systems of young infants, it becomes more severe in them. At Southwest Urgent Care, our providers are working 7 days a week to provide relief to you and your children from this fast-spreading contagious virus.

The First Signs and Symptoms

RSV can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from minor to potentially fatal! It usually shows symptoms within 4–6 days after one gets infected with it. It depicts common cold symptoms in otherwise healthy people.

Some typical initial symptoms are:

Stuffy or runny nose
Dry Cough
Sneezing
Low-grade Fever
Sore Throat
Mild Headaches

Patients with underlying respiratory diseases, older adults with compromised immune systems, or children, especially young infants, might get more severe symptoms. For these types of individuals, it can be dangerous and lead to more serious illnesses such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia. The following are some of the most common symptoms in such patients:

hoarse, “barking” cough
Sore Throat
Wheezing
Fever (increasing as the illness progresses)
Low oxygen saturation
Apnea, respiratory distress, or breathing trouble
Dehydration
decrease in appetite
Difficulty drinking
Lethargy or irritability

These above-mentioned symptoms usually appear in phases and not all at once. Even though it has some obvious symptoms, it can be confused with the common cold, flu, or even COVID-19. Head to our experienced providers here at Southwest Urgent Care and get the RSV symptoms evaluated for quick action toward the treatment plan.

Testing and diagnosing RSV

In the U.S., the RSV season arises each year during the fall, winter, and spring. Based partly on the patient’s history, the findings of a physical exam, and the time of year the symptoms are active, your doctor might suggest a rapid RSV antigen test. Yes, as frightening as RSV illness is, the good news is that it can be detected with a simple nasal swab test. Rapid RSV antigen tests are the most common test for RSV. A fluid sample from your nose is examined for specific proteins from the RSV virus called antigens. Results from rapid antigen tests can be obtained in an hour or less.

RSV Transmission

It spreads easily from person to person! As discussed earlier, mild RSV infections usually produce the same symptoms as the common cold. The main reason for an absolute diagnosis regarding the RSV illness is to isolate the patient and prevent further spread. Make sure to take a diagnostic test if the symptoms are present to ensure protection for all. An RSV-infected person is usually contagious for 3–8 days. However, some infants and people with low immune systems can spread the virus even after no symptoms are visible.

Connect to our provider via virtual visit or walk-in for a timely diagnosis. The onsite lab facility at Southwest Urgent Care can expedite the process of diagnosis, resulting in early relief from its symptoms.

Treatment, Care, and Prevention for RSV

There is no specific cure or treatment for RSV. Researchers are busy trying to develop a vaccine for RSV, but it’s not available yet, and because it is a virus, antibiotics are not effective. In general, healthy people can recover from RSV infection on their own in 1-2 weeks. Whereas providing relief and treatment to patients with significant symptoms might require some extra struggle. Some guidelines to follow for RSV symptom relief would be:

Drink plenty of fluids.
Over-the-counter pain medications for pain and fever (Not Aspirin)
Make moist air for breathing.
Keep the environment warm but not overheated.
Use saline nasal drops.
Stay away from cigarettes and other forms of smoke.
Try cough drops or cough suppressants.

For extreme conditions, in-clinic treatments are suggested, such as:

Nebulizer treatments
Oxygen supplementation
Intravenous rehydration (IV injection or drip for severely dehydrated patients)

Because young children are unable to blow their noses, a nasal aspirator or bulb syringe comes in handy for removing nasal fluids. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to help prevent the spread of it. Especially if you have cold-like symptoms

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, not your hands.
Stay home when you are sick.
Avoid close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing eating utensils.
Avoid contacting anyone who has consistent RSV symptoms.
Clean and disinfect hard surfaces that are frequently touched, such as doorknobs and mobile devices.

Diminish the risk of RSV transmission and help protect yourself and your loved ones from it by making some simple lifestyle changes. Call now with our friendly, helpful staff for further information or assistance.