Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes annual epidemics of acute respiratory illnesses in children. These can range from mild upper respiratory tract infections to severe lower respiratory tract disease, including bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Severe RSV disease occurs primarily in infants younger than six months during their first fall and winter season of life. There are steps you can take to help your patients prevent the spread of RSV. If any of your patients have cold-like symptoms, they should:
- Cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper shirt sleeve, not their hands.
- Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid close contact with others, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices.
Ideally, people with cold-like symptoms should not interact with children at high risk for severe RSV disease, including premature infants, children younger than two years of age with chronic lung or heart conditions, and children with weakened immune systems. If this is not possible, they should carefully follow the prevention steps mentioned above and wash their hands before interacting with such children. They should also refrain from kissing high-risk children when having cold-like symptoms. Parents of children at high risk for developing severe RSV disease should help their child, when possible, do the following:
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching their face with unwashed hands.
- Limit the time they spend in child-care centers or other potentially contagious settings, especially during fall, winter, and spring. This may help prevent infection and spread of the virus during the RSV season.
Educational content drawn from the following resources: