A Rapidly Spreading Virus Worse for Kids than COVID? #rsv | Ask Dr. David

RSV is on the rise around the country. Children's hospitals are reporting more beds filled by this childhood virus than anything they saw during the height of the COVID pandemic. One Connecticut hospital is even discussing calling in the National Guard to set up a field unit in their parking lot. Why is this happening? Why now? And can we limit the spread and severity of the disease? Let’s talk about it! #rsv #Virus #Outbreak #drdavidmd #drdavid -------- Do you have any questions you'd like me to address? Ask in the comments below! Please SUBSCRIBE for new videos throughout the week! https://bit.ly/3xhijVf You can now also listen to my YouTube episodes on your favorite podcast service! Let's connect: Website: https://DrDavidMD.com/ FB:   / pagingdrdavidmd   IG:   / pagingdrdavidmd   LI:   / pagingdrdavidmd   TW:   / pagingdrdavidmd   Become a patron to access exclusive content.   / drdavidmd   -------- A childhood virus known as Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, has been recently accounting for up to 75% of filled hospital beds in children's hospitals. The rise of the virus is also happening earlier in the year than when we usually see it peak during the winter months. There are 2 subtypes, A and B, and as with COVID, while a child can catch it more than once, natural immunity usually makes subsequent infections less severe. By 2 years old, most children have already been infected with this v irus. It can cause a common cold with basic cold symptoms, but it can also infect the bronchioles, the smaller airways deeper in the lungs. It can lead to severe wheezing and pneumonia. We’re likely seeing RSV rise earlier in the season and at higher rates because during the COVID pandemic years the virus didn’t have the opportunity to circulate as much, so fewer people have natural or boosted immunity. Can we prevent infection? Probably not, at least not fully. RSV spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or shares cups and eating utensils with others. You can help protect yourself, your children, and other people by washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, not being around sick children, and not sending sick children to daycare or school. There is no vaccine for RSV, but there is a monoclonal antibody called Synagis that is used to treat the virus. Since 1998, Synagis is routinely given preventatively to premature babies born before 35 weeks, and who are 6 months of age or less at the beginning of the annual RSV season. The most recent research I could find about the effectiveness of Synagis was done in 2021, where it was 70% effective in preventing infection and 82% effective in preventing hospitalized cases. A 2011 study published in Pediatrics (the official journal of the AAP) showed vitamin D deficiency in umbilical cord blood was associated with RSV-related bronchiolitis. There was a direct correlation between maternal vitamin D supplementation and cord blood levels. This was one one of the studies I reviewed when I was developing my preconception to infancy project and first realized how important vitamin D is! In a 2021 article in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, Infants with vitamin D deficiency were significantly more likely to have life-threatening RSV disease. 59% of infants with life threatening RSV had Vit D deficiency compared with 12% in those with better outcomes. And a 2021 study published in Biological Trace Element Research by an Iranian research group, indicated zinc protects against lung damage from RSV. They reported zinc deficiency can lead to enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα and IL-6…..just like in COVD! So my best general advice in preventing severe infection — make sure you’re not vitamin D or zinc deficient, and optimally try to get Vitamin D levels above 50ng/ml and zinc plasma levels above 90 and zinc red blood count above 10. Sources https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-... https://www.today.com/health/cold-flu... https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21555... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35106... https://link.springer.com/article/10.... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... -------- Dr. David is an independent thinker who draws from more than 25 years of clinical experience. He relies on a broad range of evidence-based information to provide his best possible guidance. Dr. David's thoughts and opinions may shift as the data evolves. Information he shares with the public is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content is informative and does not replace the need for consultation with qualified health professionals.