The number of people infected with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is beginning to alarm healthcare officials. According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation, RSV cases have surged in Australia since the start of winter, with about 70,000 notified so far this year. In some states, close to ten times as many have been reported as at the same stage last year. Comparisons with previous years only partially indicate trends since RSV only became a notifiable disease in Australia in 2021.
RSV causes respiratory infections and presents with symptoms that, in the beginning, can be easily confused with influenza or COVID-19. All three have very similar symptoms that overlap, especially at the start. RSV is one of several hundred different viruses that can cause these symptoms.
Most cases are mild, but infection can lead to serious outcomes for some infants and the elderly, especially for immuno-suppressed or -compromised people.
RSV – what is it?
As the NSW Health website explains, respiratory syncytial virus is a fairly common virus that causes respiratory infections. It usually peaks in late autumn or winter in the Southern hemisphere. Like influenza and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, RSV mutates frequently, meaning prior infection does not create full immunity.RSV – who is at risk?
RSV spreads widely each winter so that most children will have had at least one infection by their third birthday. RSV can be serious and lead to severe illness among children and older adults. While certain groups of people infected with RSV (premature and infants under one year, individuals with chronic heart/lung disease, immunocompromised people, and adults over 65) are at increased risk for severe disease, the possibility of complications is a worry for all age groups. In young children, it can cause serious lung problems, leading to pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which can require hospitalization. According to one leading epidemiologist, up to 3% of children diagnosed with RSV could be hospitalized. Although that number may not sound too alarming, the issue does become serious if, as is now happening, there are tens of thousands of people infected with RSV. Numbers of this magnitude can easily swamp the existing facilities for pediatric beds.RSV – how does it propagate?
Children can be exposed to RSV in school or daycare centers, bringing the virus back home. Older people then pick up the infection and, in turn, propagate it back into the general community. When a person comes into contact with a live virus (most often through breathing in airborne droplets that have been sneezed or coughed out by an infected person or touching a hard, cool surface that the droplets have contaminated), it infects the nose and throat. It can then pass on into the lungs through the airways. RSV can survive on hard surfaces for many hours. It will live for shorter lengths on soft surfaces such as wipes and the hands.RSV – can it be controlled?
RSV is a special case when compared to influenza and COVID-19, since there are currently no proven vaccines. People infected with RSV are advised to:- Stay at home if symptoms are felt
- Cover the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and immediately wash the hands and face
- Wear a mask in crowded places or if visiting high-risk environments that house vulnerable people (aged care facilities or hospitals)
- Carry a simple protector like Enovid, the broad-spectrum antiviral nasal spray that kills all viruses and all variants before they infect
- Avoid contact with high-risk individuals (infants, aged immunocompromised people).
