Health care providers at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing say they’re seeing cases of a common respiratory ailment a little sooner than normal.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, most often affects young children under the age of two.
It usually circulates in the fall and winter months.
This year, physicians around the country are dealing with an unusually early surge of RSV.
Sparrow Pediatrics Practice Leader Dr. Samantha Yamil says there’s a few warning signs of RSV that parents should be aware of.
“If you really start seeing them having difficulty breathing; breathing with their belly, sucking in between their ribs, these are all signs of pretty significant respiratory distress whether it’s from RSV or COVID, and they should see their doctor,” Yamil said.
Yamil says the hospital has been seeing more cases of RSV since children have returned to school.
“We’re seeing this virus just a little bit earlier over the last couple of years,” she said. “Some of that probably has to do with masking and kids not getting it previous seasons, and it’s just about a month early this year.”
Symptoms of RSV include coughing, fever and decreased appetite.