What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)?
Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common virus that attacks the respiratory tract. This extremely contagious disease can cause severe lung infections, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Each year in the United States, more than 57,000 children younger than 5 years are hospitalized due to RSV infection. Additionally, about 177,000 older adults are hospitalized annually with an RSV infection, and about 14,000 die from it.
RSV usually causes cold-like symptoms, but it can lead to serious illness. Common symptoms of RSV include fever, reduced appetite, runny nose, cough, and wheezing. If you notice an individual is having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids, or experiencing worsening symptoms, call your primary care physician.
RSV is most common during fall, winter, and spring and is easily contracted. It can spread through coughing and sneezing or by touching surfaces that have RSV on them, then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Almost everyone gets RSV by the time they are 2 years old, but healthy people usually experience mild cold-like symptoms and recover on their own within a week or two.
The CDC warns there are certain individuals at an increased risk for illness caused by RSV. This includes premature babies, adults 65+, people with chronic lung disease or certain heart problems, and people with weakened immune systems.
How do I prevent the spread of RSV?
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for a full 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. Washing your hands with Safetec SaniWash will help protect you from germs. SaniWash is an antimicrobial hand wash formulated to kill germs effectively while remaining soft on your skin. This product meets APIC, CDC, and OSHA handwashing standards to help you stay compliant. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, such as our Instant Hand Sanitizer. This product meets OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 1910.1030 and CDC hand washing recommendations in the absence of soap and water and comes in a variety of pleasant scents.
- Keep your hands off your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact, such as kissing, or sharing cups or eating utensils, with sick individuals.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and properly dispose of the tissue afterward.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that people frequently touch, such as toys and doorknobs.
- If possible, stay at home from work, school, and public areas when you are sick. This will help protect others from catching your illness.