RSV and RSV Testing: What You Need to Know

RSV is one of the most common causes of childhood illness and, in rare cases, can lead to serious health problems. Contrary to popular belief, though, children aren’t the only ones who can contract RSV – and while most adults who contract RSV experience mild symptoms, RSV still causes thousands of deaths in adults each year.

At St. Jude Labs, RSV testing is one of the many reliable and timely medical testing services that we offer at our Maryland facility. To help you keep yourself and your children safe, let’s take a look at everything that you need to know about RSV and RSV testing.

What is RSV?

RSV stands for “respiratory syncytial virus” and refers to a respiratory virus that was first discovered in 1956. Since its discovery, RSV has come to be one of the most commonly diagnosed of all childhood illnesses. Children under the age of five are most susceptible to contracting RSV and experiencing severe RSV symptoms; according to the CDC, there are about 2.1 million cases of RSV among children five years old or younger each year along with 58,000-80,000 hospitalizations and 100-300 deaths.

RSV can affect both adults and children. In most cases, adults who contract RSV experience either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, adults over the age of 65, adults with weakened immune systems, and adults with chronic heart or lung disease are all more susceptible to severe RSV symptoms. In fact, RSV actually kills many more adults than it does children, with the CDC estimating that between 6,000-10,000 adults over 65 die each year due to RSV complications.

RSV Symptoms

Common RSV symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Wheezing
• Fever
• Runny nose
• Decrease in appetite

None of these symptoms are particularly serious. However, RSV can sometimes lead to more severe infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and RSV is the leading cause of both bronchitis and pneumonia in children under the age of one. It is these secondary infections that are typically the reason why children who contract RSV may eventually require hospitalization.

RSV Risk Factors

Infants under the age of six months are the ones who are most likely to contract RSV and experience severe RSV symptoms. However, there are other groups that are also at a heightened RSV risk. This includes groups such as:

• Premature infants
• Children two years old or younger who have chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease
• Children with suppressed immune systems
• Children with neuromuscular disorders, including those who have difficulty swallowing or clearing mucus secretions
• Adults over the age of 65
• Adults with weakened immune systems
• Adults with chronic lung or heart disease

How is RSV Treated

Most young children and adults alike who contract RSV are able to recover on their own in a week or two without any treatment. Over-the-counter pain relievers are commonly used to treat RSV symptoms and reduce the fever that it causes. Physicians may also prescribe antiviral drugs to someone diagnosed with RSV in order to reduce the illness’s length and severity. Lastly, it is important to drink plenty of fluids when fighting RSV since RSV is prone to causing dehydration.

In severe cases, young children and older adults who contract RSV may need to be hospitalized for treatment. If you or your child is experiencing symptoms such as difficulty breathing, blue skin around the fingernails and lips, dehydration, unresponsiveness, or high fever then it is important to seek medical attention right away. Children who experience breathing difficulties with RSV often require intubation and ventilation, while children who are dehydrated due to RSV may require IV fluids.

RSV Testing

Since the symptoms of RSV are similar to the symptoms of other respiratory illnesses, it can be difficult to know whether you or your child have contracted RSV. However, RSV is a little more serious than your run-of-the-mill respiratory illness, and it is important to diagnose it correctly. Thankfully, RSV testing enables physicians to reliably confirm an RSV diagnosis.

RSV testing entails collecting a swab sample and then conducting either rRT-PCR or antigen testing. These tests are able to detect the presence of RSV along with detecting other respiratory diseases in order to confirm the exact cause of the symptoms. If you or your child are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness, it’s important to schedule an appointment for RSV testing right away. At St. Jude Labs, we offer swift and reliable RSV and respiratory illness testing to patients across the state of Maryland. If you would like to schedule an appointment for RSV testing from St. Jude Labs, be sure to contact us today.