EPABaby met RS-virus
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 13:28
The pediatrics departments and intensive care units for children in Dutch hospitals are full of young children who have serious respiratory problems due to the RS virus.
The peak in the number of infections comes much earlier than in previous years. The peak of infection is usually in December, but compared to the same period last year, the number is already twice as high. According to Lissy de Ridder, chairman of the Dutch Association of Pediatrics (NVK), it is all hands on deck.
The RS virus – full name respiratory syncytial virus – is the most common cold virus in young children. Every winter there is a peak in the number of infections. According to the RIVM, almost all children under the age of 2 are affected by it.
De Ridder says that the pressure is high, but it can still be done. “It can happen that people have to travel far to get to an emergency room. For example, people from Brabant who have to go to North Holland with their child because there is no more capacity in Brabant..“Young patients have not yet been sent abroad due to a lack of capacity, such as Antwerp.
‘All hands on deck’
The UMCG in Groningen has also seen a clear peak in the number of patients with the RS virus for some time. Eduard Verhagen, head of the Beatrix Children’s Hospital UMCG, does not know why the peak is earlier. “The peaks of the RS virus were always fairly predictable, but since corona that predictability is no longer so certain. So we don’t know whether it will remain that way.”
According to Verhagen, every effort must be made at this time. “Working together, we manage to provide the care we want. We also receive help from adult medicine and we consult closely with other hospitals about transferring and returning patients. This is very common because this way we ensure that there is no bed available anywhere. leave it unused.”
RS virus usually mild
In most cases, an infection is mild. About 1 in 100 sick babies ends up in hospital and 1 in 1000 ends up in intensive care with an RS infection. Symptoms of the RS virus include runny nose and coughing, and in more serious cases, wheezing, shortness of breath and high fever. The elderly can also become seriously ill from the virus.
Earlier this year, the European Medicines Agency EMA approved a vaccine against the RS virus. The drug Abrysvo, made by manufacturer Pfizer, can be given to pregnant women. Their baby is then protected for six months after birth. Doctors call the vaccine a breakthrough.
The RS virus is a respiratory infection caused by the so-called respiratory syncytial virus. Every winter there is a peak in the number of infections with the RS virus. The symptoms cause babies to drink less. Parents are advised to go to the doctor immediately if they have cold complaints in the first month of the baby’s life. Worldwide, the RS virus is the second cause of death in infants, after malaria.
2023-11-17 12:28:46
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