ODH to discuss increase in respiratory illnesses, COVID in children today

Dayton Daily News - 8/23/2021

Aug. 23—The Ohio Department of Health will hold a press conference today at 11:30 a.m. about the growing number of respiratory illness in children, as well as COVID-19.

ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, pediatrician and chief of staff at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Dr. Michael Forbes, pediatric intensive care specialist at Akron Children's Hospital, will be part of the press conference.

The press conference will be streamed live on YouTube.

The Dayton region is among many across the country seeing a summer increase in RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. Most infections typically start in to increase as temperatures drop, but this summer cases are unseasonably high.

In June the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory alerting doctors and caregivers about increase RSV rates in the South.

"Due to this increased activity, CDC encourages broader testing for RSV among patients presenting with acute respiratory illness who test negative for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," the alert read. "RSV can be associated with severe disease in young children and older adults."

Symptoms of RSV in infants younger than 6 months include irritability, poor feeding, lethargy, and/or apnea with or without fever, according to the CDC. Older infants and young toddlers may have a runny nose or a decreased appetite may appear one to three days before cough, often followed by sneezing, fever, and sometimes wheezing.

If your child is showing signs of RSV, contact their doctor.

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