The truth about RSV

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Ivanhoe Newswire) - It's that time of year again: the dreaded cold and flu season is on the horizon.

But lurking in the shadows is a more sinister threat: respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Cases begin to rise in September and is at its worst during the winter. Often dismissed as just another common cold, RSV can be deadly, especially for infants and older people. But do you know the truth about RSV? Ivanhoe separates fact from fiction.

Hannah and her twin brother Nolan ended up in the hospital after catching RSV.

"That was the worst week of my life," said Kym Lyell, Hannah and Nolan's mother.

The truth is 80% of babies under 1 year old catch RSV.

"They probably mostly catch it from other children," said Andrew Pavia, MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease at University of Utah Health/Primary Children's Hospital.

But it's not just a risk for children; 177,000 older adults are hospitalized each year with RSV, and 14,000 die from it.

What you don't know about it could land you in the hospital. First off —true or false: RSV spreads through contact with contaminated surfaces?

No; it spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes releasing tiny droplets into the air.

Question number two: RSV is always a severe illness?

It often mimics the common cold, but RSV can quickly turn into bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

"The older you get, the milder the disease is until you become about 60 and then it becomes severe again," Pavia said.

And because RSV is a virus, antibiotics don't help. What is true is that prevention is key: a vaccine has recently been approved for adults over the age of 60, infants, and pregnant women.

"The protection that babies get from their mothers getting vaccinated lasts a maximum of about six months and starts to fade after about three months. So, this isn't lifetime protection, but it does protect babies during their most vulnerable months," said Pavia.

And remember – it's never too late to get vaccinated.

While the immediate effects of RSV are often the primary focus, the virus can also have long-term consequences. Some studies suggest a potential link between severe RSV infections in infancy and the development of asthma and wheezing later in childhood.