SEOUL: What Is Respiratory Syncytial Virus? Know Symptoms And Prevention Steps

SEOUL: The respiratory syncytial virus
is a highly contagious virus that infects the lungs and the respiratory tract.
It mainly affects kids by age 2 but in some cases, adults can get infected too.
The symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus are usually mild which take a week
or two to recover. But in some cases, respiratory syncytial virus can also lead
to serious complications. A severe infection can lead to pneumonia and
bronchiolitis. This virus can enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth.
It can also spread easily through infected droplets in the air.

Respiratory syncytial virus: Know symptoms and
preventions steps

Symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus

The
respiratory syncytial virus leads to cold-like symptoms. Some of these include-

Runny nose
Sore throat
Headache
Sneezing
Mild fever
Dry cough

These
symptoms usually last for 1 to 2 weeks. One may start to experience these
symptoms 4 to 6 days after exposure to the virus.

Severe
cases

In some
cases, the infection can lead to severe symptoms like fever, severe cough,
wheezing and difficulty in breathing. If the infection spreads to the lower
respiratory tract, it can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis.

You
should immediately see a doctor if the child struggles to breathe, refuses to
feed, shows signs of irritability and feels tired.

Prevention

There is
no vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus. Therefore it is crucial to follow
all necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus. Some of these include-