Guyana keeping watch for respiratory virus – Anthony -children mostly affected
As the United States sees a surge of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony on Sunday cautioned especially parents of young children to take note of the symptoms and see a doctor if warranted.
The Minister of Health said that to date he has not had “any reports of hospitalized cases of RSV in Guyana” but wants the public to be aware so as to prevent serious cases developing.
“Take the child to the doctor if you notice these symptoms…,” he told Stabroek News, as he listed them and explained that they start with mild coldlike symptoms such as a runny nose, irritability, coughing, lethargy and reduced appetite.
The skin and muscles between the child’s ribs or below the ribcage look like they are caving in and the child has flared nostrils when they take a breath.
Infants younger than three months and who have a fever of more than 100.4°F, or 38°C, and those older than three months but with the same temperature for more than three days should see a doctor immediately, according to Anthony.
He explained that RSV affects the part of the lungs called the bronchioles and when infected, they become swollen and full of mucus, developing into bronchiolitis and as that progresses other symptoms appear such as wheezing and pausing between breaths.
He said that while the virus most often affects children younger than 2 years of age, adults who are immunocompromised and those 65 and up are also at risk.
Anthony is urging persons to continue sanitization routines and precautions as followed with COVID-19, such as covering their face when coughing and sneezing, washing hands frequently with both soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using sanitizers, as well as avoiding close contact with others, particularly those who are symptomatic.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, coldlike symptoms. “Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States”, the CDC said.