It’s that time again when cases of colds, flu and other respiratory viruses — like respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV — start climbing in the Valley. This year it’s happening much sooner, causing what some are calling a “tripledemic.”
 

Effect on hospitals and healthcare providers

Having so many germs circulating at once puts a strain on health providers and patients.

“Usually the RSV season starts around September, October, and it gradually picks up and reaches the max in January,” said Dr. Badrinath Kulkarni, Pediatrics, Community Health Partners. “But this year we saw a sudden spike in cases in October. It's not just here but all over the country.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year more than 58,000 children 5 and under, and 177,000 adults over 65, are hospitalized with RSV.

Dr. Kulkarni said there may be several reasons for the early spike this year, but most likely it’s because kids were isolated from normal exposure during the pandemic. Staying home from daycare and school, washing hands and wearing masks kept kids from catching “normal” respiratory viruses, so a lot of them weren’t exposed over the last two years.

“But now the masks are off at the daycares and the schools are open. So that's why we see all these viruses coming back,” he said.
 

The virus hits the young — and old — hard

Six-month-old Kruz Rojas was treated and released from Community Regional Medical Center on November 1, where he was diagnosed with RSV.
 
“I noticed he had a little cough and would whimper a little after he coughed,” mom Krystle Rojas said. “They were able to get him stable with suctioning out excess mucus and medication to reduce his fever.”
 
Luckily Kruz was able to go home after the ER visit, but a few days later, his 68-year-old grandmother came down with RSV too and was hospitalized.
 
“Mother always appears to have a little cough, but she is on oxygen so I was not aware she was sick,” Rojas said. “She started having complications even while being on her oxygen the first week of November, and now she’s on a ventilator.”
 
The CDC says older adults — especially those with chronic lung diseases or congestive heart failure — may develop a lung infection or pneumonia.
 
Having two family members with RSV was a little overwhelming for Rojas, who said she wished there was a vaccine for the virus to protect her loved ones, especially after Kruz suffered another relapse of RSV at the end of November.
 

RSV vaccine for adults may be on the horizon

A vaccine seems to be a way off for kids. However, in August, Pfizer announced that its experimental RSV vaccine was nearly 86% effective in preventing severe illness in adults ages 60 and older. Another biotech company, GSK, said in October its vaccine was about 83% effective in older adults. 

Pfizer also has an ongoing RSV vaccine trial in pregnant women, and an interim analysis of the results suggested that pregnant women pass their protective antibodies to their babies in the womb.

A monoclonal antibody injection called Synagis is one available option to protect at-risk infants from severe illness from RSV. The injection, however, is only available to certain high-risk infants, like babies born prematurely or those with a low birth weight.

“So there is no antibiotic or medication that we can give to kill the virus,” Dr. Kulkarni said. “So we can give medicines to symptomatically help the children for cough, like cold medications, or if they're sneezing and have congestion.”
 

Treating symptoms of RSV and when to see a doctor

Dr. Kulkarni said if kids have a fever or headache, they can take Tylenol (ask your pediatrician if child is under three months) or ibuprofen (ask your pediatrician if child is under six months). Also, if they have any respiratory symptoms, especially if they're coughing too much, it can affect their sleep. They might even have coughing induced vomiting.

“If they're wheezing they should see their doctor in case they need an inhaler or extra medications for support,” he said. “But there is no medicine [for RSV] to really give them, for example, like Tamiflu, to kill the influenza virus to help them recover.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics says to call your pediatrician right away if your child is experiencing:

• Heavy breathing, flared nostrils, head bobbing

• Wheezing

• Belly breathing

• Infrequent urination (fewer than one wet diaper every eight hours)

• Gray or blue coloring on tongue, lips or skin

• Lethargy