RSV affecting older adults as well as children

Most of the focus has been on children who became seriously ill, resulting in packed emergency rooms in the Detroit area and nationwide.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be particularly serious for infants and older adults.

Dr. Tressa Gardner, executive medical director of American Physician Partners, which serves emergency departments at area Ascension Providence and McLaren Health hospitals, says emergency visits by older adults with RSV are up about 10% from 2019, before the pandemic.

She attributes the increase to several factors, including “the sheer fact that grandmas and grandpas watch the little ones.”

Young children did not have exposure to RSV, flu or other illnesses over the past two years during the pandemic, when people stayed home and used masks when they were in public.

So, when life returned to more normal conditions, they were hit hard by infectious diseases, experts say.

Older adults are likely to have conditions that make them more susceptible to severe complications of RSV and flu, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, Gardner said.

She recommends looking out for these signs that an older adult may need to go to the emergency room: — Extreme shortness of breath — Fever that isn’t controlled — Not eating or drinking — Decreased activity level.

She said area emergency rooms are busy but are able to care for those in need, and people should not hesitate to take their older adult if necessary.

Here are some tips to avoid hospitalization or severe cases of RSV: — Stay away from sick people. — Consider wearing a mask if you are in a crowded place indoors. — Wash hands frequently and thoroughly.

A 6-year-old Macomb County boy died of complications of RSV at an Oakland County hospital in early November.

A few days later, Corewell Health East, formerly Beaumont Health, prohibited visitation by children age 5 or younger at its hospitals, as it experienced high volumes of patients with respiratory illnesses, including RSV. The hospitals allowed young children to visit only in extreme circumstances.