Pediatrician: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Surging in Minnesota

(KNSI) — Thirty-three states, including Minnesota, report a surge in Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Officials say RSV is a common respiratory virus usually seen in kids under age two between October and March, peaking in February, but doctors at CentraCare say the numbers now “are already pretty high. And then last year, we actually saw it in the summertime. So a little bit of a change from from what it had been in the past,” said CentraCare Pediatrician Dr. Jessica Najarian-Bell.

She says two years of isolation and COVID-19 lockdowns have opened the door for more cases. “Now some of the older kids are getting it because they didn’t get it in those two years with a pandemic. And so their bodies have not been exposed to the virus. And so now they are, and they’re getting sick with it.”

Dr. Najarian-Bell says older kids will likely have symptoms in line with the common cold. She says RSV can cause serious illness in specific populations. That includes infants less than 12 weeks old, premature babies, babies with heart or lung disease, and the elderly.

Medical experts say to watch out for a fever lasting more than five to seven days. Or if a child has difficulty breathing, is experiencing rapid breathing or breathing faster than 60 breaths a minute. In babies, look for their nose flaring out or any color changes, pauses or grunting.

Doctors say you can slow the spread of the virus by washing hands often and keeping surfaces clean. According to Dr. Najarian-Bell, RSV can stay on our hands for up to 30 minutes and on surfaces for up to six hours.

RSV doesn’t have a vaccine right now.

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