A surge of common cold-like symptoms continues to be experienced in many Kentucky communities. Young children are suffering from RSV, or Respiratory syncytial virus this fall. After seeing a few cases in August, Baptist Health Richmond saw 30 patients inOctober. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Erica Gregonis said most of the children are treated and released.
“We symptomatically treat that with breathing treatments, maybe steroids, but all just symptomatic treatments. Those that we’re able to give those medications to, they feel better here in the emergency room, most are able to go home. If it’s severe enough and significant enough, we’ll have to transfer to University of Kentucky.”
Gregonis said the uptick in cases this cold season is likely tied to the absence of these kinds of respiratory illnesses during periods of masking over the last couple of years.
She noted the respiratory ailment is very contagious.
“When they go home, you want to avoid close contact with others, especially if anyone in your household has any chronic medical conditions or they live with older adults because those are the ones also that can have more significant symptoms with RSV,” said Gregonis.
Gregonis suggests testing for COVID, to make sure, before proceeding with care for RSV. The Richmond doctor said thousands of hospitalizations occur across the U.S. She says, fortunately, the illness is rarely fatal.
