[오늘의 키워드] Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an acute respiratory infection virus with symptoms similar to those of the common cold. Most recover within 1 to 2 weeks, but care should be taken as the symptoms can be serious in infants and the elderly and those with weak immunity.
According to health authorities, almost all infants and children experience a second infection (primary infection) within the first two years after birth. Of these, 20-30% progress to bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways of the lungs) and pneumonia. Reinfection is also common, and exposure to the virus can lead to re-infection at any age. Reinfection is common in adults, and symptoms of reinfection are mild compared to initial infection. However, because the immune system weakens with age, the risk of complications from RSV is high.
RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age in Korea. It is a common cause of hospitalization due to respiratory infections in children in late autumn and winter, and some infants develop severe respiratory distress and pneumonia, requiring intensive care unit treatment and respiratory assistance treatment. In rare cases, death may result.
RSV symptoms usually appear within 4 to 6 days after infection. Newborns and infants may have a runny nose, cough, sneezing, fever, decreased milk supply, rapid breathing, and wheezing. Symptoms usually do not appear all at once, but in stages. There may be no fever or only a slight fever.
Premature or very young infants infected with RSV may have symptoms such as irritability, drooping, reduced milk supply, shortness of breath, rapid wheezing (wheezing), and apnea (longer than 10 seconds) without typical respiratory symptoms.