A mother whose “happy little boy” took three months to recover after spending two nights in hospital on an oxygen ventilator, testing positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid, has urged other parents to “trust their instincts” when it comes to their child’s health. Hanna Konnovs’ 21-month-old son Maksim, a “happy and funny” boy who is “full of energy”, was born in June 2021 with no underlying health conditions or illnesses, however, he started displaying “worrying” symptoms at 16 months old, which were initially misdiagnosed.
Hanna, 28, a student support adviser who lives in Norfolk with her husband, Andrejs, 38, a traffic management operative, said Maksim started wheezing, his breathing rate increased, he was “unhappy” and he was not eating anything – a “huge contrast” to his usual self. Hanna visited the GP on multiple occasions and was prescribed antibiotics for pharyngitis and tonsilitis, but Maksim’s condition worsened and this resulted in her taking him to A&E on two occasions, where he was put on an oxygen ventilator overnight to help him breathe.
It was during the first visit to A&E that Hanna was told Maksim had respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – a virus that can cause respiratory illness in infants – and this caused him to develop bronchiolitis, a chest infection. Hanna said she “knew something was wrong” and she is glad she pushed for a diagnosis, as it took her son three months to recover – and she would encourage other parents to learn more about RSV, as she feels there should be more education on the symptoms of the virus.
