Children's hospitals are reporting an alarming number of cases, but children aren't the only ones at risk.
are identified in each state, with many seeing nearly a quarter of their tests for RSV come back positive over a three-week average. Some southern states are seeing a higher percentage, with Texas seeing more than 22 percent of its tests come back positive for more than 1,000 cases in the last five weeks. However, the CDC reports that southern states like Florida see an earlier uptick in RSV cases than other states.
Once in the hospital, according to Knowing RSV, there is no routine treatment. Medication to reduce fever, using saline drops or suctioning a stuffy nose or antibiotics if there's bacterial infection are common treatment routes. If a child is having trouble breathing, they are usually treated with IV fluid, oxygen and, in severe cases, are put on a ventilator.There is a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test for RSV, but it's not often needed.
In addition, GoodRX reported that there is no vaccine to prevent RSV. As of March, there were four RSV vaccines being studied in late-stage clinical trials.