8 ways to prevent RSV respiratory infection in children and adults.
Nowadays, no matter where you look, people are infected with the RSV virus, especially young children and the elderly. What is this disease? Is it more dangerous than the common cold? And how can we prevent RSV ? Health has the answer from the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health.
What is RSV disease?
RSV or Respiratory Syndrome is a disease caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus that causes infected people to have symptoms similar to a cold. It can be transmitted through contact with secretions of an infected person. The virus enters the body through the eyes, nose, mouth, or directly from shaking hands. It is easily spread through coughing or sneezing. In Thailand, the RSV virus is often found during the rainy and winter seasons.
RSV risk group
RSV respiratory infection can occur in all เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย groups of people, but symptoms are more severe in the following groups:
- Small child
- Premature babies
- Elderly people over 65 years old
- People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease
- People with abnormal immune systems
Symptoms of RSV
Symptoms of patients with RSV respiratory infection appear about 4-6 days after exposure to the virus. Infected people will have the following symptoms:
- Have a fever
- cough
- Have a runny nose
- sore throat
- If the symptoms are severe, you will experience rapid breathing and shortness of breath due to pneumonia.
- Eating less
- Depressed
- Symptoms will be more severe if the patient is a young child or an elderly person with lower than normal immunity.
RSV treatment
Most treatments are symptomatic. Specific antiviral medications are still under investigation and are not yet officially available in Thailand.
RSV prevention
There is currently no vaccine to prevent RSV infection, but we can prevent infection and reduce the spread of the virus by doing the following:
- Wash your hands regularly, such as before eating.
- Avoid contact with infected people, such as those with a cold or pneumonia, especially premature babies and infants aged 1-2 months.
- You should not use unclean hands to touch your nose or eyes.
- Drinking glasses should not be shared and avoid using glasses that have been used by an infected person.
- Clean children’s toys regularly, especially after an infected child has touched or played with them.
- For patients, if they are sick, they should rest and cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- Keep the house clean at all times.
- Drink plenty of water because water helps to keep secretions such as mucus and phlegm from becoming too sticky and does not interfere with the respiratory system.
RSV infection symptoms in older children and adults usually improve after 1-2 weeks of treatment. If the patient does not improve, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, or poor appetite, they should see a doctor immediately.