BANGKOK, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- A well-known Thai virologist on Tuesday raised the alarm of rising cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among children.

"Parents must be aware of an outbreak of RSV amongst children, especially during the raining season," said Dr. Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University.

Yong said RSV causes respiratory tract infections in children and is currently spreading among children aged below five years old.

The outbreak occurred after COVID-19 lockdown measures had been eased and full scale school reopening resumed in September, said Yong, who is also a senior advisor to Thailand's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.

Yong said symptoms of RSV infection include fever, coughing, sneezing and wheezing.

It can cause more severe infections such as bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lung and pneumonia, he said.

There is neither specific treatment nor vaccine for RSV infection, he said.

Parents and their children could protect themselves from the virus by wearing face masks and washing their hands frequently, he added.

Yong said child care centers and schools should often disinfect toys and items used by children.

Just last week in Thailand's North-Eastern Province of Khon Kaen, five children were diagnosed with RSV and were rushed to a hospital's intensive care unit for children.

On Monday, an 8 month old baby in Bangkok was rushed to hospital after experiencing difficulties in breathing. The baby was later diagnosed with RSV. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)