“RSV, also known as respiratory syncytial virus, is a respiratory virus that is everywhere in the community.”

That’s Kristin Barrett, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. She is warning about an infection that can be severe in infants or people with weakened immune systems.

She continues:
“The reason it gets a bad rep is because it’s very effective at infecting the lower respiratory tract, so things like the lungs and the bronchioles. And that can get little babies, less than two, in trouble if they get infected.”

Symptoms can include congestion, coughing, and trouble breathing.

RSV is typically active October through March, and there is an immunization against it that lasts babies that full 6 month season. Parents should wash children’s hands frequently, sanitize surfaces, and keep children away from people who are sick.

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