DOH: 221 cases of respiratory virus logged from January to August 31, 2022

The Philippines recorded at least 221 cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from January to August 31, according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday.

At the press briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) is in charge of the surveillance system for RSV in the country.

“From January to August 31, 2022, we have identified 221 RSV cases in the country among children. Until now, there are no reported deaths from this RSV,” she said.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes RSV as a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages.

Vergeire said RSV is common among children aged 5 and below.  She added the virus can be transmitted through “respiratory droplets.”

"Ang respiratory syncytial virus or virus that we call RSV common sya na nangyayari sa mga bata. It is only transmitted through respiratory droplets din. So 'yung ating transmission sa hangin. Ito ay commonly naapektuhan ang bata less than five years old,” Vergeire said.

“So ating mapapayo sa ating mga magulang dahil ito ay common sa kabataan, ang symptoms ay flu-like din, yung parang may sipon, nilalagnat and this can last because this is virus, viral siya, natatapos din ang sakit after some time,” she added.

(So we advise our parents, because this is common among children, the symptoms are also flu-like, cold, fever and this can last because this is a virus, it is viral, but it also ends after some time.)

Vergeire said no medicine can be prescribed specifically for RSV.

“Walang specific na gamot na nabibigay dito. Nakakapanghawa mula sa isang matanda or bata. Nakukuha ito sa hangin so kelangan talaga na ang kabataan maging malusog ang mga bata mabigyan ng preventive measures such as vaccination and especially mga nakakatanda pwede maging vulnerable dito so kelangan pangalagaan ang kanilang katawan,” she furthered.

(No specific medicine can be given for the infected. It can be contagious for the old or young. It is transmitted through the air, so it is very important that children are healthy, they should be given preventive measures such as vaccination, and especially the elderly can be vulnerable to it, so they need to take care of their bodies.)

The Agence France-Presse, citing the health authorities, said more than 177,000 elderly people are hospitalized each year in the United States because of RSV infection, and about 14,000 die.

The virus causes bronchiolitis, a respiratory disease that mainly affects infants, but can also be dangerous for the elderly, who can develop pneumonia.

Meanwhile, Pfizer earlier announced positive results in the elderly for a vaccine against RSV, for which there are currently no authorized shots.

The vaccine is being tested on people 60 years and older in an ongoing clinical trial. According to a preliminary analysis, it was about 85 percent effective at preventing severe cases or those involve three or more symptoms.—LDF, GMA News