Local hospitals seeing more cases of RSV in children

FAMILY THIS MORNING -- ASLOCAL HOSPITALS START TO SEE:NOT ONLY AN INCREASE IN COVIDCASES -- BUT THEY'RE SEEINGMORE CASES OF "R-S-V." THAT'SA RESPIRATORY ILLNESS FOUNDTYPICALLY IN CHILDREN.

DOCTORSTEPHEN TURKOVICH -- THE CHIMEDICAL OFFICER AT OISHEICHILDREN'S HOSPITAL -- TELLSUS THEY'RE ON PACE TO DOUBLETHE NUMBER OF R-S-V CASESBETWEEN JULY AND AUGUST.

ONEOF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WITHR-S-V THESE LAST COUPLE OFYEARS, IS IT'S HARD TODIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN RSV ANDCOVID-19.THE CHALLENGE BETWEENDIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN COVIDAND RSV IS REAL THEY BOTHCAUSE THE SAME SYMPTOMS FEVERCOUGH CONGESTION THE ONLY TRUEDIFFERENTIATOR IS THE LOSS OFTASTE AND SMELL IN COVID THATYOU DON'T OFTEN GET IN RSV ANDSINCE RSV IS TYPICALLY IN KIDSOR BABIES, THEY CAN'T TELL YOUIF THEY LOST THEIR SENSE OFSMELL NOW THE REAL WAY TO TELLTHE DIFFERENCE, IS WITH A SWABTEST.

HOSPITALS USE ONE THATTESTS FOR RSV AND COVID AT THESAME TIME.MEANTIME -- KIDS ARE ALSODEALING WITH THE RISE IN COVIDCASES.

A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS:CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OFTHREE -- COULD BE MORE LIKELYTO SPREAD COVID-19-- THANOLDER KIDS.

THIS CONTRADICTSEARLIER STUDIES.

RESEARCHERSFOUND: OLDER KIDS OFTENBROUGHT THE VIRUS HOME -- BUTTODDLERS WERE MORE LIKELY TOSPREAD THE VIRUS-- TO OTHERFAMILY MEMBERS.

DOCTORTURKOVICH SAYS: IT'SIMPERATIVE WE DO EVERYTHING WECAN TO STOP THIS SPREAD INKIDS.IT LOOKS LIKE THE 11 TO MAYBE15+ PERCENT OF KIDS EVEN WITHASYMPTOMATIC OR MILD COVID MAYGO ON TO DEVELOP LONG COVIDSYNDROME WHICH WE CERTAINLYDON'T WANT BECAUSE IT COULDHAVE EFFECTS FOR THE REST OFYOUR LIVES SO THE BEST WAY TOPREVENT IT IS VACCINATE IF YOUCAN AND IF YOU CAN'T MAKE SUREEVERYONE IS WEARING MASKAROUND YOU DOCTOR TURKOVICHALSO URGES KIDS TO WEAR MASKSWHEN POSSIBL