The Chief Medical Officer is urging parents not to ask grandparents or elderly people to look after sick children, due to a record number of RSV cases being reported.
Professor Breda Smyth said she is concerned after almost 650 cases of RSV were notified to the HSE in the past week, with a majority of cases found in small children and the elderly. Meanwhile, flu cases are also on the rise.
In a video message shared on Twitter, Prof Smyth urged people to get their flu vaccine. She said: "This week we’ve seen a record number of RSV cases in Ireland, the majority being small children and the elderly. Flu cases are also rising sharply. Protect yourself and others from winter viruses by getting your flu jab."
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At the moment, two-thirds of over 65s have gotten their flu jab, but Prof Smyth said that the uptake needs to be higher as we enter the Winter months. Prof Smyth also urged parents with sick children to keep them home from school and childcare until 48 hours after their symptoms have disappeared.
She also said that parents should avoid asking elderly relatives for help to mind sick children. Prof Smyth said: "When kids are at home sick many of us rely on grandparents and older relatives to help with childcare. However, this is putting our older relatives at risk, so please be mindful of this."
According to latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, there were 648 cases of RSV recorded in Ireland between 7 and 13 November. There were also 282 people hospitalised with RSV.
Symptoms of RSV:
According to the HPSC, symptoms of RSV can appear between 2 to 8 days after a person is infected and include the following:
- Fever
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough and sometimes croup (a barking cough caused by inflammation of the upper airways)
- Wheezing
- Decreased appetite
- Ear infections (in children)
According to the HSPC, it is the most common cause of hospital admissions due to acute respiratory illness in young children.
“By two years of age, nearly all children have been infected with RSV at least once. Most cases are not specifically diagnosed as RSV; however it causes 80% of bronchiolitis and 20% of pneumonia cases in young children,” states the HSPC.
While there is no vaccine available for the RSV virus, parents can visit the HSE's under the weather website for more information.
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