Children's Hospital says RSV cases are up, mom works to prevent infection
The respiratory syncytial virus dashboard on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website lists 297 positive cases. Out of those cases, 192 of them required emergency room visits.
Kaci Allgood's son has already been sick a lot. The 2-year-old had walking pneumonia and COVID-19.
Now his mom's working hard to prevent him from getting the virus.
"It does make me extremely nervous. I'm an EMT so I've seen the side effects of RSV. I've seen kids with RSV. I know how they get it," Allgood said.
Dr. Russell McColluh with Omaha Children's Hospital and Medical Center said RSV can be spread just like other viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.
"It doesn't look specific. It's not unique in how it presents and looks like all the other viruses in most cases," McColluh said.
That could mean a stuffy nose, headaches, fever and difficulty breathing.
"If your child is able to stay well hydrated and not breathing too hard where they have to choose to breathe and to not eat or drink and they are not looking too tired out or ill then supportive care at home is completely reasonable," McColluh said.
McColluh said it's important to avoid children if you are sick.
"For those folks that may be ill with a virus, most of the time they are not going to know its RSV but avoiding contact with young children, vulnerable children," McColluh said.
He also recommends getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu. For this mom, she's taking extra precautions to keep her little one "all good."
"Kids who have respiratory problems are more apt to get it, so anybody who is sick is not allowed to pretty much within five feet of my kid," Allgood said.
Young children tend to be more vulnerable to respiratory syncytial virus, but McColluh said anyone can contract the virus.
There is no vaccine.
McColluh said most of the children they see coming into the emergency room are fighting off multiple viruses.