How to keep yourself and your family safe from RSV

ROBINA WEEMEIJER | UNSPLASH

RSV is common but especially dangerous for children. There are as many as 80,000 hospitalizations annually among infants, and rates are higher among Black and Hispanic children.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, cases and hospitalizations are spiking in North Carolina.

RSV can prove fatal in infants and older adults, so it is important not to take it lightly if you or your child has contracted the virus — especially for children.

“What [RSV] does in the lungs is it fills your lungs up with fluid,” said Dr. Iona Munjal of Pfizer. “If you can imagine that babies breathe through little airways like a straw. Our straws (as adults) are really big, but theirs are really tiny. So, when their straws fill up with fluid, they are essentially drowning.”

RSV is common, and often adults don’t even realize when they have it as it mimics the common cold. About half of all infants get RSV before their first birthday, according to Munjal.  

“It comes around every year and we probably all get it every year,” she said. “It is that thing that lasts for a couple of days and is really uncomfortable but then if you pick up a baby and kiss it, that baby could then get RSV.”

Every year, there are approximately 58,000-80,000 RSV hospitalizations among infants. Rates are higher in Black and Hispanic children.

“So, if you look at how women do in pregnancy,” Munjal said, “underrepresented minorities have significantly worse pregnancy outcomes. When this happens, instead of having a little baby, you have an even smaller baby. So, you may have a preterm baby. Because of that, that baby is even more prone to get RSV.”

The risk of RSV is inflated among premature babies, which has led to growing concern among Black women who are pregnant. A lot has to do with access to good healthcare, nutrition, etc.  

According to studies documented in the National Library of Medicine, the rate of premature births amongst Black women was around 50% higher than among white or Hispanic mothers.  

“We’re not sure if RSV affects African American babies more than Hispanic babies or other babies,” Munjal said. “We think it is more about the condition that drives healthy birth outcomes. Now, we don’t know everything. RSV could affect people more severely by race.”  How do you keep your baby safe?

There are many ways to help keep you and your baby safe during these winter months.  

1. Get the proper vaccinations, especially if you are pregnant. “Vaccination in general is a part of the toolkit that we use to keep moms healthy and safe during pregnancy,” Munjal said. “We know that if moms get the flu or Covid during pregnancy then they can do very badly and actually deliver their babies early. So, keeping moms healthy during pregnancy through vaccination is important.”

2. Keep living conditions sanitized and safe “Hand washing is number one,” Munjal said. “Masks help, but actually RSV can be transmitted through baby blankets.”
There was a study done on RSV on this issue of it being transmitted through blankets. It was found that if you take a blanket from a baby who had RSV and give it to another baby, then they can pick up the virus very easily.  

“So, unfortunately, RSV is transmitted through touch,” Munjal added. “The virus can live on inanimate objects like the baby blankets. We always say that babies aren’t ready for the world until their first set of shots which isn’t until six weeks to two months old. So, keeping babies at home is important.”

Often, families will have kids of various ages going to school and as a result, bringing home a lot of germs that cause viruses. So, keeping your house clean and safe is very important to protect you and your baby this winter season.

3. Get tested and know what treatment options are available During the winter when the flu, Covid and even common colds are running rampant, it is important to get tested to know if you have one of these because as of now there is no way to test for RSV.

By eliminating the chances of having one of the other three could be a good indicator of if you have RSV.

“There are some viruses that you can treat like the flu and Covid,” Munjal said. “It is worth going out and getting tested to know the name of the virus you have. Now, for RSV, unfortunately, there is no treatment or cure. That is why we are encouraging vaccination for mothers.” Finally, make sure you consult with a doctor about what is right for you, baby and family.

“We are going right into the (virus) season now, so it is that time of the year,” Munjal said. “So, we are really trying to get the message out there.”  

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