What is Winter Virus? Know about symptoms, treatment and everything about RSV in children

Amid the daily increasing cases of COVID, cases of common winter illness among children have escalated concerns among the parents who have been asked to stay alert. According to a report published in the Independent, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among young children is "rife" due to lowered immunity, said the British Lung Foundation (BLF). The non-COVID virus affects mostly young children and usually peaks in winter, especially in January.

The charity expressed concern over children's health as this time they are likely to have "much lower immunity" amid the prevailing COVID situation that too when the NHS is struggling with overwhelming COVID cases. It is believed that the winter virus could surge and coincide with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. Notably, the BLF has reported a steep rise in emergency phone calls from parents reporting their children having breathing difficulties.

What is RSV? Know its symptoms here

RSV is a common condition among young children, it is also known as the winter virus and almost all children face it by the time they are two years old. The virus may affect the lungs, triggering coughs and colds, and it could also lead to bronchiolitis in some cases. The symptoms usually get worse in a few weeks, starting from a normal temperature and cough to a high temperature and dry, persistent cough, leading to difficulty feeding and wheezing. In the majority of cases, a child recovers from RSV in two or three weeks, but a number of children need hospital admission. 

The BLF has stated that around 1000 children need hospital care in the UK alone. The charity has issued a new guideline for parents, asking them to stay away from young children if they have a cough or cold, show regular clean hands and avoid smoking around young children and babies. 

Treatment for RSV

"In general practice, we are seeing a lot of children with coughs and viruses that weren’t circulating last year, and so their immunity has been lowered, said Dr. Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at the British Lung Foundation. "Doctors on the ground are concerned that, alongside a rapid increase in cases of COVID-19, we are also going to see a surge in diseases like bronchiolitis. The good news is that for most children, it will be mild and will clear up in a few days without any treatment. He also mentioned that it is extremely rare for a healthy child to die of bronchiolitis," he added.