Can You Get Rsv Twice In A Row

By: Andrea Jones, MD, FAAP

Almost all children get RSV at to the lowest degree once before they are 2 years old. For most good for you children, RSV is like a common cold. But, some children go very sick with RSV.

What is RSV?

RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus) is one of the many viruses that cause respiratory disease―illnesses of the olfactory organ, throat, and lungs. This virus occurs in the late fall through early spring months, but tin can vary in unlike parts of the country.

With mask-wearing and physical distancing for COVID-19, there were fewer cases of RSV in 2020. However, once safe measures relaxed with the inflow of COVID-19 vaccines, a rise in RSV cases began in bound 2021.

Typically, RSV causes a common cold , which may be followed past bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Symptoms generally terminal an boilerplate of 5-seven days.

Cold: Upper Respiratory Tract Infection	Bronchiolitis: Lower Respiratory Tract Infection
Symptoms may include: Fever (temperature of 100.iv or college) Coughing (dry or moisture sounding) Congestion Sneezing Runny nose Fussiness Poor feeding	Symptoms may include cold symptoms, plus: Fast animate Flaring of the nostrils Head bobbing with animate Rhythmic grunting during breathing Abdomen breathing, tugging between their ribs, and/or tugging at the lower neck Wheezing

Cold: Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

Bronchiolitis: Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

Symptoms may include:

Fever (temperature of 100.iv or college)
Coughing (dry or moisture sounding)
Congestion
Sneezing
Runny nose
Fussiness
Poor feeding

Symptoms may include cold symptoms, plus:

Fast animate
Flaring of the nostrils
Head bobbing with animate
Rhythmic grunting during breathing
Abdomen breathing, tugging between their ribs, and/or tugging at the lower neck
Wheezing

How hard is your baby animate? Know what to look for.
Chest wall retractions occur when a baby must employ muscles betwixt the ribs or in the cervix to breathe. It is a sign that baby is having to work harder than normal to breathe. Watch your child'southward rib cage as he or she inhales. If you see information technology "caving in" and forming an upside-down "Five" shape under the neck, then he or she is working likewise hard.

Is your infant or young child at a greater run a risk?

Those infants with a college chance for severe RSV infection include:

12 weeks old or younger at the start of RSV season
Premature or low birth weight infants (especially those born before 29 weeks gestation)
Chronic lung disease of prematurity
Babies with certain types of heart defects
Those with weak immune systems due to illness or treatments
Boosted risk factors for severe RSV infections include low birth weight, having siblings, a female parent'due south smoking during pregnancy, exposure to secondhand smoke in the home, history of allergies and eczema, non breastfeeding, and being effectually children in a child care setting or living in crowded living conditions.

When should you call the doctor?

RSV symptoms are typically at their worst on days 3 through 5 of disease. Fortunately, well-nigh all children recover from an RSV infection on their own.

Call your pediatrician right away if your kid has any:

Symptoms of bronchiolitis (listed above)
Symptoms of dehydration (fewer than i wet diaper every 8 hours)
Pauses or difficulty breathing
Gray or blue color to natural language, lips, or skin
Significantly decreased activity and alacrity

Some children with RSV may exist at increased adventure of developing a bacterial infection, such as an ear infection . Call your md if your child has:

Symptoms that worsen or practise not start to improve afterward seven days
A fever (with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F or higher) and they are younger than iii months of age (12 weeks).
A fever that rises above 104°F repeatedly for a child of whatsoever age.
Poor slumber or fussiness, chest hurting, ear tugging or ear drainage

How do doctors diagnose RSV?

Pediatricians diagnose children with a common cold or bronchiolitis by asking about their symptoms and past doing a physical test. Your pediatrician may do a nasal swab test to decide if your kid has RSV or some other virus. A chest 10-ray and/or oxygen saturation test may also be done to check for lung congestion. Considering most children recover without difficulty and because there is no treatment for RSV, these tests usually are not necessary.

Is RSV contagious?

Yep. RSV spreads simply like a common-common cold virus―from one person to some other. It enters the body through the nose or eyes or, usually from:

Direct person-to-person contact with saliva, mucus, or nasal discharge.
Unclean hands (RSV can survive thirty minutes or more on unwashed hands).
Unclean objects or surfaces (RSV can survive up to 6 hours on surfaces, toys, keyboards, door knobs, etc).

Symptoms can announced 2 to 8 days after contact with RSV. Co-ordinate to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days. Notwithstanding, some infants and people with weakened immune systems tin be contagious for equally long as four weeks―even if they are not showing symptoms.

Keep in mind, children and adults can become RSV multiple times–even during a single flavour. Ofttimes, however, repeat infections are less astringent than the first one.

What can you do to help your child experience better?

There is no cure for RSV and medications, like steroids and antibiotics, practice not assist with RSV.

To help your child experience more than comfortable, begin by doing what yous would for any bad cold:

Nasal saline with gentle suctioning to allow easier breathing and feeding.
Absurd-mist humidifier to help break upwardly mucus and allow easier animate.
Fluids and frequent feedings. Make certain your child is staying hydrated. Infants with a common cold may feed more slowly or not experience similar eating, because they are having trouble breathing. Endeavor to section baby'south nose before attempting to chest or bottle-feed. Supplementation with h2o or formula is unnecessary for breastfed babies. If difficult for the babe to feed at the breast, expressing breastmilk into a cup or bottle may be an option.
Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (if older than 6 months) to assist with low-form fevers. Always avoid aspirin and cough and cold medications.

Only 3% of children with RSV will crave a hospital stay. Those children may demand oxygen to help with breathing or an (intravenous) 4 line for fluids. About of these children can become home later on ii or 3 days. Rarely, a child may demand care in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

How can yous protect your children from RSV?

Wash your hands! Simply as you lot would to prevent germs at any time, use soap and water and scrub for at least xx seconds. Remind children to practice adept hand hygiene all through the year.

Other things that can assist

Vaccinate. Keep your children up to engagement on their immunizations and get the whole family annual flu shots. Getting vaccinated with Tdap―to protect against whooping cough is especially important for adults who are effectually infant—new parents, grandparents, babysitters, nannies, etc. Your child should too be immunized against COVID-19 if they are eligible.
Limit your baby's exposure to crowds, other children, and anyone with colds. Keep them abode from schoolhouse or kid care when they are sick and teach them to encompass their coughs and sneezes.
Go germ-free. Disinfect objects and surfaces in your home regularly and avoid exposing your child to smoke from tobacco or other substances.
Feed your infant breastmilk. It has unique antibodies to prevent and fight infections.

Injections for high-risk infants

There is a monoclonal antibody handling that may reduce the risk of severe RSV infection in some high-risk infants. Your pediatrician volition allow you know if your babe is a candidate.

Hope on the horizon

Medicine is always advancing! Scientists are currently studying vaccines to preclude and medications to treat RSV. We may have more options in the future. In the concurrently, rest assured that virtually children recover well from RSV and grow to be salubrious adults.

More information

COVID-xix & Other Respiratory Illnesses: How Are They Different?
Treating Bronchiolitis in Infants
Bronchiolitis
When to Keep Your Child Dwelling from Child Care
RSV in Infants and Young Children (CDC.gov)

About Dr. Jones:

Andrea Jones Andrea Due north. Jones, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified general pediatrician. She is an Banana Professor in the Section of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Wellness. Dr. Jones is a member of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The data independent on this Web site should not exist used equally a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. In that location may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.