It wouldn’t be school holidays without at least one of us sick. Unfortunately, both EG Zaltu (9yo) and I have contracted the hippest virus on the streets, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). And it is taking a LOOONG time to kick this virus. Long enough for symptoms to start before the winter school holidays AND possibly prevent Zaltu from returning to school. That’s longer than the usual 2wks for a standard virus, folks. Add to that the heavy-duty coughing keeping us both awake at night. No stars, do not recommend.
The thing is, most of your standard people on the streets have no idea what RSV is. In our post-COVID world, the general community is a bit fatigued with the whole virus thing. RSV is just another new virus, right? Not quite. RSV has been around for a while, causing its own grief. But somehow, it has amped up its impact on the human immune system. So we are dealing with more of it and, in some cases, greater severity. Hospitals around Australia are noting an uptick in admissions with RSV-related complications. Do we need to worry about it, with COVID-level concern? Probably not. But it is the very real reason I have been out of action for 3-weeks, and I’m still struggling to focus long enough to tap-a-tappa these words on the screen.
What is RSV?
Let’s start with the obvious. Respiratory Syncytial (sin-SISH-ul) Virus (RSV) is a virus; it says it right there on the box. It’s a respiratory virus, so it’s going to mess with your breathing. The ‘syncytial’ relates to the fusing of cells in infection, but I’m not a doctor, so that’s the limit of my understanding on that one. This is the answer given to me by my General Practitioner, who actually enjoys me asking about this weird stuff. It’s a medical relationship made on Perfect Match.
RSV has been around since the 1950s, being the most common virus in young children. For most healthy and older patients, it usually looks like a bad cold. However, RSV is the most likely cause behind patients ending up with Bronchiolitis and Pneumonia, as well as other chest infections and respiratory illnesses. For young children, it can be very dangerous as they are not always strong enough to manage the strain on airways with coughing and sneezing and lack of sleep. For asthmatics like me, I finally know the culprit for my annual bronchiolitis and how it keeps chipping away at my respiratory recovery each year. Not helped by the 2019 Sydney Bushfires and the 2-and-a-half months with COVID in 2022.
The usual symptoms of RSV are:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Fever
- Wheezing or raspy breathing
- Loss of appetite
RSV is passed around in our respiratory droplets. From coughing and sneezing, to snotty tissues left around and dirty hands touching smooth surfaces everywhere. You can check out the health information sheets from government sites like NSW Health here.
So, Do We Need to Worry About RSV?
Generally speaking, no. By now, we should all know how to wash our hands. We should also be familiar with staying home when sick and using a mask when around other people. The general issue here is our collective resistance to do so. I get it. I really do. I am not thrilled with being locked in a room for hours on end with a sick-yet-still-active 9-year-old (have you met Zaltu?). I am even less thrilled with the school holidays (already trashed) extending out to 3-weeks or possibly four. Zaltu is even more upset about potentially missing her athletics carnival and music camp (her first-ever school camp). We are not happy campers.
However, RSV is similar to COVID in both its contagious nature and how quickly it turns against the immuno-comprised. Where RSV may feel like a bad head cold for the 17-year-old, a five-year-old might be tearing the lining of their airways with chest-rattling coughs. It’s not like we are carrying our medical history on a sign around our necks. We just need to be smart and conscionable about it.
How Long Does It Take to Recover from RSV?
Here’s the kicker: generally, 2-weeks. Most people should be shaking it after a week with a few residual symptoms for up to another week. The key factors for recovery include rest, hydration, and more rest. Paracetamol will help with fevers and pain, but antibiotics are no use against a virus until it causes a secondary bacterial infection.
Then there are the people with pre-existing factors who seem to cuddle up to RSV in a tight embrace for up to a month. Yep, a month. And in our post-COVID world, that means you need to keep your kids home for the entire duration of symptoms. The. Whole. Month. You may not actually feel sick during that time, but if you’re still coughing up phlegm or blowing mucus out your nose, then you can still be contagious. The problem here is that RSV can cause breathing problems and lung infections, including that cough you can’t get rid of. And the longer you are coughing, the longer your body is fighting the virus while still weakening against its hold. Breathing can be hard work; worse still when you are tired from fighting a virus. If you are struggling to shrug off this virus, it’s best you head to the GP and check that it isn’t partnering with a secondary infection as well.
And Where is Our Vaccine for RSV?
There isn’t a vaccine for RSV available in Australia. The good news is the first RSV vaccine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2023 for adults aged 60 and over. However, there is nothing suitable for kids; in part because their immune systems are so underdeveloped and ever-growing. It has taken 60 years to reach this point, so don’t hold out for a vaccine in the near future. When you consider our vaccine fatigue and the decline in ‘flu vaccines administered this year, I’m not even sure people would accept an RSV vaccine if it was offered.
In the meantime, if you are unlucky enough to be hit with RSV, the best thing you can do is rest and stay away from others. It’s not as bad as the ‘flu, but it is definitely worse than a simple cold. And please remember, it is still bad enough to be a problem for someone close to you.
Stay healthy. And I’ll be back soon with more game reviews as soon as I can breathe again.
Categories: General Evil Genius
Evil Genius Mum
Evil Genius Mum
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