How is it that I've never heard of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) before?

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

There's an article on RTE News www.rte.ie/news/2022/1122/1337703-record-high-rsv/ about how RSV is higher than usual and earlier than usual this year. There have been hospital admissions. It seems to be a common thing but I have never heard of it before this year.

Three out of four in our family have a stuffed up nose, followed a few days later by a cough. It sounds like our house has echos as there are coughs coming from all directions. To me that's a cold, I often have a cough following a cold. But since I read the RTE report I'm now wondering if it might be RSV. It doesn't matter much either way, we are all just going to rest until we feel better and none of us are ill enough to need medical treatment. A lot of the DC's friends are off school with the same symptoms so whatever it is it's very spreadable.

Have you heard of RSV before?

It can cause bronchiolitis. Dd had it as a baby. In older children and adults it is usually a common cold.

Yes, Irish living in UK. Have a cold virus at the moment, as did other members of my family. Pattern was heavy cold followed by sinusitis and I now have tonsillitis. I feel flattened.

Yes, it’s quite dangerous for babies as it can cause bronchiolitis. Both mine had it when they were under a year old and one was hospitalised. The children’s ward at the time called it “bronchy season” and had a leaflet about RSV and bronchiolitis. It’s been on my radar since my children were babies.

Yeah very common in kids. My DD and about 6 others all had it last year and the year before. Some went to A&E with it and one 18mo was admitted for a few days

I think there was an Irish Times report where a medic recommended that grandparents didn't mind sick grandchildren with RSV so there's a lot going around.

When DD1 was born last year we were invited to join a trial for an RSV vaccine. We didn't because DD was very tiny and poorly when she was born and i was struggling after her birth, so didn't feel like i could cope with joining a vaccine trial as well, but i thought it sounded like really promising news!

I've known small children with bronchiolitis but had no idea RSV was a cause, although I'm pretty sure that 'a virus' was mentioned by the parents in most cases.

They seem to be concerned about older people in the news report, because it's very common for extended family to look after children who are too sick for school, and it's often grandparents who are most likely to be available.

I hope you're feeling better soon HugHeart, I'm just leaving the flattened stage after 10 days.

Yes bronchiolitis is a risk for older people too

💐 BlackAmericanoNoSugar you too. Just turning the corner today at long last 😁

I first heard of it almost 14 years ago when DS2 was a baby. He caught RSV at 4 weeks old and was in the NICU for a week; the doctor refused to say if he would even survive. It was one of the worst times of my entire life.

November is the beginning of the RSV/Bronchiolitis season. It can be very dangerous for babies. I suppose a lot of people only hear about it when it affects them.

I first heard of it 10 years ago .. when my son was in HDU because of RSV. He was 3. There were points that week I wasn't sure he would definitely survive. The wards were full of even tinier children battling RSV.

I hadn't heard of it either. When I was younger you either had a head cold, chest cold or a general cold, preceeded by bad/heavy if it flattened you.

Yes, I heard of it firstly about 10yrs ago.

I remember it because when ds was hospitalised as a baby they had an entire ward sectioned off for babies with RSV

My DN had it when he was a tiny baby. Was awful. Ended up having to be in an oxygen box.

I'm due in a couple of weeks and it freaks me out.

my eldest had it just under a year old. We ended up in hospital - steroids, oxygen etc it did lead to literally every cold thereafter resulting in a visit to a&e. Then one night an amazing respiratory consultant was around and he came to see us, said the regular viral wheezing could mean just for a short period of time a preventor inhaler would suit her. She was only 2 so a GP wouldn’t prescribe it. She stayed on a low dose preventor until she was 6. Then grew out of it/lungs improved.

respiratory consultant couldn’t say absolutely it was RSV that caused it but he seemed pretty sure. Lots of very frightening trips to a&e between ages of 1-2

There was a high number of cases of this last year too @BlackAmericanoNoSugar

Tallaght and Crumlin were both over-run I recall.

Small babies, in particular, were a concern. I think because of lowered immunity after lockdowns.

Yes, I read some research that found that babies and little children who got RSV bronchiolitis often suffered with wheezing/ asthma symptoms for up to 10 years. DS 2 was hospitalised at 4 months and had asthma quite badly until he seemed to outgrow it at around 14 years.

It brings children's wards and hospitals to their knees every year. We have to cancel surgery if it's a bad 'bronc season.' The winger before covid was horrendous. It's a far bigger annual problem than covid is. One year, we had so many babies in, that we actually ran out of actual cots. And that was in a large Childress hospital! We dread winter.

Yes two of mine had bronchiolitis as babies. It can be scary.

Those of you flattened with a cold have you done a lateral flow? The only reason I'm asking is I felt really full of cold initially, did a test and was positive. I had the first two vaccines too. I'm now at the shattered, coughing up everything place. It's bloody horrible.

Sending get well wishes to all who need it.

Oh and I'm in Ireland too.

My ds 8 first had bronchiolitus when he was 3 months old, since then up until the age of 4 everytime he got a cold it was straight to his chest and it would be another hospital job, was prescribed inhalers etc which really helped. Still now in the winter he will get a virus that sets off a bad chest and he has to start taking the steroid inhaler.
This post has made me wonder if it was rsv back then that caused all this...

Yes, I did a lateral flow near the start, maybe second or third day, and it was negative. I generally still test quite a bit because I don't want to pass Covid on to my elderly Mum. Although this is bad enough for me to stay away from her anyway.

This is a virus that is risky for specific age groups that has been known about for over 50 years