Good for the elderly
Infection with the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in Older Adults.
RSV may survive on hard surfaces for long periods of time. From the time a person is exposed to the RSV until they develop symptoms, it can take anywhere from two to eight days. Symptoms usually persist between three and seven days. The majority of children and adults return to normal in one to two weeks.
Even though RSV infection has symptoms that are similar to those of influenza, the symptoms of RSV infection are more severe. These symptoms include nasal congestion, coughing, wheezing, and low-grade fever. Older people with underlying heart and lung illness, as well as immunocompromised individuals, are at the greatest risk of developing pneumonia and dying as a result of RSV infection.
RSV symptoms are normally moderate in healthy individuals, but the virus can be fatal in older persons and those who have underlying heart or lung issues, among other things. Every year, around 177,000 older persons are admitted to hospitals and 14,000 of them die in the United States alone as a result of a respiratory syncytial virus infection.
When treating adults with RSV, the focus is on providing supportive care, which may include antipyretics, supplementary oxygen, and intravenous fluids as needed. 31 Patients who are older or who have previous respiratory disorders (e.g., asthma, COPD) who are experiencing acute wheezing may benefit from the use of corticosteroids and bronchodilators, either inhaled or systemically.
The majority of RSV infections resolve on their own after a week or two. There is currently no particular therapy for RSV infection, while researchers are working on developing vaccinations and antivirals to combat the illness (medicines that fight viruses).
RSV often manifests itself as mild cold-like signs and symptoms in adults and older children. Some of these symptoms may include: congestion or a runny nose. Coughing up dust.
So far, it appears that the new coronavirus is more harmful for adults, particularly those over the age of 65. RSV is more dangerous for small children, but it may also be dangerous for the elderly and individuals who have other health concerns, such as diabetes.
Even while you may not be able to lessen the duration of a respiratory syncytial virus infection, you may try to alleviate some of the signs and symptoms of the illness. Other suggestions for alleviating symptoms include:
Contact with droplets from the nose and throat of infected persons when they cough or sneeze causes RSV to be passed from person to person. Additionally, RSV can be disseminated through the contact with dried respiratory secretions on bedclothes and other such things. When exposed to RSV, it may survive on hard surfaces for several hours and on the skin for a shorter period of time.
The flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are all highly infectious respiratory diseases caused by viruses: the flu is caused by the influenza virus, COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and RSV is caused by the respiratory syncytial virus virus (RSV). Someone can be infected with many viruses at the same time if they are in close proximity to each other.