Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ed Yeates ReportingInfluenza numbers are climbing, So are many other respiratory infections. State Health says caseloads are increasing in clinics and hospitals and more kids are staying home from school.
Olivia Brenneman doesn't feel well at all. Coughing and having breathing problems, she ended up at Primary Children's E.R. Dr. Bob Bolte says while he celebrates Christmas, this is also the time of year when for him that things are not so festive at work.
It appears RSV, or Respiratory Syncicial Virus is making one of its cyclical comebacks, with forty plus cases in one week at Primary, and it's still early!
Bob Bolte, M.D., Primary Children's Hospital E.R.: "About every second or third year, we usually have a very bad year, and I think this is probably going to be the year."
RSV is pretty mild when adults get it, but those three months and younger can develop breathing problems real fast.
Bob Bolte, M.D.: "Long pauses, when it's more than ten seconds, they're turning blue, getting limp and blue. Those are the babies that need emergency attention."
Olivia probably has one of the many other garden variety of respiratory illnesses, not RSV, so Mom will take her home and do what everybody else does.
Ann Brenneman, Olivia's Mom: "We are going to lay in bed and watch movies, and get her drinking again."
Dr. Bolte says parents can't keep their children in a bubble, but we can take precautionary steps to minimize contamination, especially if a child is less than three-months old.
Bob Bolte, M.D.: "We're also seeing other respiratory viruses. This is the worst croup year I can remember, a lot of para-influenza, and yeah, wash your hands. Wash your cameras. Wash everything."
Don't panic. Don't fret. Tis the season. We've gone through this before. Bolte suggests parents avoid crowds if they have a baby less than three months old. And keep small children from hugging and kissing the baby, at least until RSV packs up an leaves for the season.
