Qiana “Nikki” Little was born on February 8, 1992 to Evelyn and Quentine Little.Only being on this planet for a week something happened, “She was laying down sleep and I knew something was wrong. She was having problems waking up,” said Evelyn. With a very high fever Evelyn and Quentine rushed her to the hospital. This is where she spent ten days in the hospital; three in ICU and and seven in a oxygen tank. That’s when the family found out that Nikki had a serious infection called RSV.
Respiratory Syncytical Virus, also known as RSV, is a common infection in children under the age of one. Each year, 75,000 to 125,000 children in this age group are hospitalized in the US due to the infection. Many children are infected with this by their second birthday, only a small percentage develops a server case of it, it can also affect adults as well. It is known to appear between the months of November to April.
The infection can pass from person to person exactly like the common cold. There are two different types and many strains of RSV. The symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of a cold such as:
• A cough
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Mild sore throat
• fever
The first infection is usually the worst when it comes to a child. Some babies and have a risk of many complications including death from the infection because of the immune system because of their immune systems not being fully developed. An adult over the age of sixty-five is in high risk of the infection and may cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure.
This infection can become very serious. Even though there is no antibotic that can cure RSV, a drug known as palivizumab is avabile to pervent the illness from becoming severe in infants and children. Oxygen, and humidified air is a few known home remiedies to help control the infection. It is suggested to contact a doctor or seek emergency help if you have rapid tachypnea (breathing), a croupy cough, or a fever of 100.4º. for children pulling on the ears, and fussiness will most likely happen. No surgery is ever needed for this infection.
Even though there is no special treatment for the infection, RSV has very few specific treatments that can be done at home. It is known to spread like any other infection or virus, coughing and sneezing, through the air. In order to pervent the spread of RSV people should follow these steps:
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Wash your hands frequently and correctly with soap and water for 15-20 seconds)
• Avoid sharing cups and eating utensils with others
• Refrain from kissing others
• Clean contaminated surfaces
“Knowing I had RSV as an infant didn’t really matter...