Utah RSV cases 'increasing rapidly,' doctor says; preventative measures encouraged - KSL.com

RSV surges are coming earlier than accustomed this twelvemonth successful Utah and are reaching a record-setting fig of cases successful immoderate hospitals astir the country, according to a Primary Children's Hospital doctor. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah doctors are bracing for a atrocious RSV play and Dr. Andrew Pavia says the respiratory syncytial microorganism is "here and expanding rapidly."

The RSV outbreak is coming earlier than accustomed this twelvemonth and is reaching record-setting levels successful immoderate hospitals astir the country, according to Pavia, who specializes successful infectious diseases astatine University of Utah Health and Primary Children's Hospital.

He said determination is typically an RSV outbreak successful December and January that is considered "moderately severe" and brings immoderate precise sick children to the hospitals. This year, however, the RSV outbreak looks adjacent much serious.

Concerns astir RSV are compounded done what has been called a "tripledemic" — a word Pavia said was invented to picture 3 viruses hitting astatine once. In this case, those viruses are RSV, COVID-19 and the flu.

"When viruses deed astatine once, it tin truly overwhelm capableness that's acceptable up to grip the surge," Pavia said.

He said determination is ever important flu enactment successful Utah. And though it is not yet astatine unsafe levels successful the authorities this year, it is astatine unsafe levels successful immoderate confederate states and doctors are acrophobic astir a accelerated summation implicit the adjacent fewer weeks. Pavia said Utah has besides seen a flimsy uptick successful the fig of COVID-19 cases, and though it is unpredictable, determination is interest astir cases rising during the wintertime season.

But Pavia says determination are presently bully vaccines disposable for some COVID-19 and the flu.

"People tin inactive get infected aft getting the vaccines, but it's your champion mode of preventing you oregon your children (from) ending up successful the infirmary oregon ending up precise sick," helium said.

RSV currently does not person immoderate vaccines, truthful to combat RSV, Pavia said radical should trust connected "old-fashioned but effectual preventative measures" similar keeping infants distant from sick people, wearing a mask, covering coughs oregon sneezes and washing hands.

"As we spell into a play wherever we're going to spot a batch of viral illness — and immoderate of it has the accidental of being reasonably terrible — I deliberation it's important that parents retrieve that prevention is the instrumentality that we've truly got, and that you tin use," Pavia said.

Preventative measures tin assistance support infants and families healthy, particularly since exigency departments and doctors tin beryllium overwhelmed by an influx of cases.

Most children with RSV tin beryllium treated by a pediatrician, but Pavia said parents should look for signs of dehydration and trouble breathing erstwhile considering whether to instrumentality a kid to the exigency room. He said symptoms of RSV tin forestall children from eating and drinking due to the fact that of secretions successful their tiny airways.

"You'll announcement less bedewed diapers and trouble taking a vessel oregon eating nutrient — and erstwhile that happens, it's clip to beryllium seen by your physician. If a child's lethargic, if they're not urinating astatine all, you astir apt request to spell consecutive to the exigency room," Pavia said.

He said trouble breathing successful young children tin beryllium seen done accelerated breathing, signs that they are moving hard to breathe, blueness successful the lips oregon fingers oregon terrible lethargy.

Pavia said doctors are connected the verge of aggregate effectual preventative measures for RSV which could beryllium disposable starting adjacent year. Some examples see an RSV vaccine for aged radical who tin besides beryllium deed hard by the virus, palmy probe into vaccinated mothers passing RSV extortion onto their infants, and long-acting monoclonal antibodies which could support children done the winter.

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