LISTEN: Pediatrician, Dr. Govender unpacks RSV for parents with smaller kids...

Parenting in itself is no easy feat, but parenting a sick child is somehow ten times worse. The feeling of helplessness definitely affects you on a deeper level. A level that somehow no one else can understand...

So when a snowball effect of cold, flu, and respiratory issues plagued many kids recently, it obviously sparked some concern with parents. A mother from KwaZulu-Natal contacted Carol Ofori and the Bad Moms Club with her concerns about two kids from her child's daycare who have been to hospital due to respiratory ailments...

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After hearing about the condition called RSV, which is Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and its severe wave amidst children under five-years of age, it immediately signalled red flags for many parents. 

"The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NCID) has released data indicating that RSV is surging since lockdown restrictions have been relaxed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and lower respiratory tract illness among young children. It can also cause pneumonia, which is the main cause of death in children under the age of five." (The South African)

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"RSV is spread through contaminated air droplets and can cause outbreaks both in the community and in hospital settings." (Wikipedia)

Sound familiar? The infection is quite similar to coronavirus. 

Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the reason that many children have had less exposure to the RSV infections, what with school closures, social distancing, and sterilisation. 

Some introductory signs to RSV include but are not limited to; a runny nose or congestion, sore throat and/or coughing, sneezing, fever, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and difficulty in swallowing, dehydration. 

Here are some steps to take to help protect your child from RSV:

WATCH the video below done by Dr. Jevani Govender explaining RSV. Courtesy of Facebook:

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