Ms. Hoai Thu (in Ha Dong district, Hanoi) took her nearly 2-year-old daughter to the hospital with difficulty breathing and wheezing. The doctor diagnosed the child with pneumonia caused by the respiratory viral colposis (RSV) and needed to be hospitalized for treatment.
Before that, the child had a mild fever and cough, and the family gave him medicine but it did not improve. When the symptoms became severe, she rushed to take her child to the hospital. The child is currently receiving inpatient treatment.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoai An - former Head of the Department of Pediatric ENT, Central ENT Hospital, currently Director of An Viet Hospital said that changing seasons is a favorable time for the respiratory syncytial virus to spread, causing the number of hospitalizations to increase, many children have complications. When the weather changes from spring to summer, autumn to winter, the air changes, the combination of cold and humidity, continuous floods, creating conditions for the virus to thrive, especially RSV.
Acute respiratory infection is a common disease in children, the most common cause of disease and death in children under 5 years old worldwide. The cause of the disease is microorganisms, of which viruses account for 50-90% of cases and RSV is one of the most important causes of respiratory infections at lower levels.
RSV causes lung infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and spreads through respiratory secretions, direct contact or through viral objects. Children under 2 years old, premature babies, and children with weak resistance are susceptible to infection and severe complications.
"Virus RSV enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth. It easily spreads in the air through drips carrying pathogens spread by the patient. Your child is likely to be infected with RSV if someone carrying this virus coughs or sneezes near you. RSVs also pass on to others through direct or indirect contact, such as shaking hands with a patient or touching a surface with RSV virus.
RSV virus enters the nose, causing inflammation of the nasal mucosa, thick nasal secretions, blocking the airways, the virus reaches the bronchial and duodenal follicles, causing the duodenal platelets to collapse, causing air stasis, even leading to damage to respiratory cells.
People infected with the group virus are most likely to spread within the first few days after infection. However, the virus can continue to spread in the next few weeks," Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoai An analyzed.
Subjects vulnerable to respiratory syncytial virus attacks are premature babies, under 6 months old, low birth weight; Children with immunodeficiency, chronic diseases, congenital heart disease, congenital lungs; Exposure to cigarette smoke, environmental pollution, cold climate...
Healthy children with RSV often have only mild symptoms such as a cold and can be treated at home. However, the virus can cause pneumonia and severe bronchitis. If the child has difficulty breathing, high fever, purple lips and nails, parents should take the child to the emergency room immediately.
To treat at home, it is necessary to clean the nose, keep the environment clean, avoid smoking, give children nutritious food, drink plenty of water and take medication as prescribed. If there are unusual signs, take the child to a medical facility for timely treatment.
