SUGAR LAND, Texas — There’s a virus on the rise in Texas that looks like an everyday cold at first, however, it can turn out to be much more dangerous.
Respiratory syncytial virus or RSV is a viral infection that infects the lungs and breathing passages.
It can be especially dangerous for children. One Sugar Land mother, Hayley Adarmes, spent much of last week in the hospital after two of her children were admitted to Texas Children’s because of RSV.
Cason, 3, got sick first. He has chronic lung disease, so it’s not unusual for him to struggle with his health.
“We thought that he just had a cold or something because when he catches things, sometimes, he gets it really bad,” Adarmes explained.
He tested negative for RSV and was sent home.
“He just kept getting worse and worse and worse. Working very hard to breathe and just lying there very lethargic.”
Eventually, a trip to the ER and another test showed he did have RSV. That’s when he was admitted to the hospital. Five days later, so was his 5-month old sister, Leighton.
“He was up on the 14th floor she was on the 10th floor so I was running back-and-forth.”
Dr. Helene Sheena, a pediatrician with Kelsey Seybold, says RSV cases are on the rise.
“We are seeing it pretty much on a daily basis at this point,” Sheena said. “RSV can present just like a cold. Fever, cough, runny nose, poor appetite, but it can also present a lot more serious than that.”
It can cause pneumonia, bronchitis, or even death. Kids under 5, people with underlying health conditions and the elderly are most at risk.
Although the virus typically peaks in December Adarmes says she was told this by doctors, “RSV has started a lot earlier than in the past and how a lot of the kids are getting even sicker for whatever reason this year.”
The virus spreads like the flu. Globally, RSV affects an estimated 64 million people and causes 160,000 deaths each year, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Young children, people with underlying health conditions and the elderly are the most at risk for serious complications.
“It can be a very scary diagnosis,” Sheena said, “fortunately though, most children do OK with it, you know? it looks like a cold for most children.”
The virus can is contagious through saliva droplets. Washing hands, covering mouths when coughing and sneezing and staying away from people who are sick are all ways to try to prevent it.
After the Adarmes family's visits to the doctor that ended with two kids in the hospital, Hayley’s take away is if you think something is wrong, get checked.
“It’s not easy when you see your child suffering for sure. And we don’t want anyone else to go through that too.”