The Truth About the Summertime Surge of RSV

Disclosure :: this post is sponsored by Children’s Hospital

The truth about the summertime surge of RSV

RSV in childrenIf you live in the South, you have likely heard that Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has been running rampant, which is unusual for this time of year, as winter is the time we typically see large numbers of RSV cases. While RSV generally doesn’t cause severe illness in adults, the virus can be serious for infants and toddlers.

Children’s Hospital New Orleans, like many hospitals across the South, is currently experiencing a surge of hospital admissions caused by RSV. We believe this surge may be a consequence of loosened COVID-19 restrictions. Last winter, we diagnosed relatively few cases of RSV, likely because the masking and social distancing that was recommended for prevention of COVID-19 also drastically reduced transmission of RSV.

Afraid your little one has RSV? Here are the symptoms to look for:

  • Stuffy or runny nose
  • Cough
  • Headache
  • Low-grade fever

What’s the good news here?

The experts at Children’s Hospital are just that – experts, with significant experience in managing and treating infants and children with RSV. The vast majority of infants and children who become infected with RSV recover uneventfully at home, exhibiting only mild cold-like symptoms. A small minority require hospitalization or even intensive care. Diligent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding close contact with others and avoiding kissing babies’ hands and faces will help lessen risk of transmitting the virus or getting sick yourself.

Children’s Hospital New Orleans stands ready to care for the infants and children who need us most, today and every day.

About Mark Kline, MD 

Children's Hospital New OrleansDr. Mark Kline serves as Children’s Hospital New Orleans’ Physician-in-Chief. In his role at Children’s Hospital, Dr. Kline oversees the hospital’s pediatric academic medical programs with LSU Health New Orleans and Tulane University School of Medicine. In addition to Dr. Kline’s primary responsibility as an executive leader for Children’s Hospital, he holds faculty positions at both LSU and Tulane, working directly with LSU’s Dean Steve Nelson and Tulane’s Dean Lee Hamm to develop innovative, cohesive strategies to improve the future health and wellbeing of Louisiana’s children.

A pediatric infectious disease specialist by training, Dr. Kline founded an international pediatric HIV/AIDS program, Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), a program that builds healthcare infrastructure, trains health professionals, and provides medical care and treatment to children and families across sub-Saharan Africa and in Romania. BIPAI currently provides HIV/AIDS care and treatment to more than 350,000 of the world’s poorest and least fortunate children and families, more than any other organization worldwide. This pioneering work led to Dr. Kline’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Additionally, Dr. Kline has been the recipient of more than $150 million in research and training grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most recently, Dr. Kline served in the esteemed roles of Physician-in-Chief at Texas Children’s Hospital and Chair of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, from 2009-2020. Dr. Kline serves as Editor in Chief of Rudolph’s Pediatrics, one of the world’s most widely recognized and read medical textbooks. He has authored more than 250 articles and textbook chapters, and has presented throughout the world on a myriad of child health topics. Honors include the Association of American Medical Colleges Humanism in Medicine Award in 2002, the Medical Award of Excellence from Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2007, the Distinguished Faculty Award of Baylor College of Medicine in 2007, the Millie and Richard Brock Award of the New York Academy of Medicine in 2009, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Public Service in 2010, just to name a few.

Children
Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 229-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 400 physicians trained in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana and in Southern Mississippi, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. Children’s Hospital offers primary care services at 15 convenient locations throughout Southeast Louisiana and remotely via its Virtual Care app. Children’s Hospital is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center. Learn more at chnola.org.

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