Adam was doing all three of these things for a few days, but I didn’t know what to look for.
RSV peaks on days three through five
Unfortunately, the virus gets worse before it gets better. I didn’t take Adam into Children’s until day five.
RSV is common
Like, super common. The average adult will get RSV multiple times in her lifetime. It’s a common cold with a cough, with varying degrees of intensity. For Luke, it was just a cough. For Eden, it was a fever, a cough, and vomiting. For Adam, it was four days in the hospital.
An RSV cough lasts four to six weeks
My kids are FINALLY free of that nasty cough, but my husband and my mom are still coughing. This virus affected our entire family before Thanksgiving. It’s now mid-January.
For medical professionals to consider it “RSV Season”, five percent of patients must test positive for RSV. So far this winter, 49 percent of patients tested positive. I’m not sure if medical professionals or the CDC will call that an epidemic, but they should.
Hand washing is great, but isolation is best
If you have kids and plan to come in contact with a newborn…just stay away! Children are carriers of the virus, and while it may be a slight cough for a five-year-old, it could be deadly for an infant.
Rain brings RSV
While there’s no scientific evidence to support this, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital tell me that when the weather warms up and rain sweeps through, RSV is on the rise.
I’ve canceled play dates and seek out a babysitter if anyone shows a sign of a sniffle. Our family canceled two vacations because of this virus. People may think I’m crazy, but better smart than sorry.
Since our run with RSV, Adam is now part of a case study at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Medical researchers are working on a vaccine for the virus. One currently exists for preemies, but this vaccine would be readily available to all newborns. So on some level, Adam is helping to protect future babies from RSV. I hope our story sheds some light on a virus I previously knew nothing about.
**Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional.**
This article about RSV originally appeared at Parent.co, used with permission
