Matei Popescu, sophomore biology major, could barely study for an exam. All he could do was sleep all day. He was dealing with Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
The symptoms lasted about two weeks.
“I was bedridden for days. I felt so stuffy and could not go about my daily routines,” Popescu said. “It sucked because I had a test I could barely study for since I knew I needed the rest.”
Mark Cayabyab, associate professor in the College of Dental Medicine, is a virology and immunology specialist. He teaches The Edge: Covid-19, Mpox, and RSV for the Farquar Honors College.
Cayabyab said it is not uncommon for viruses to spread particularly fast around the holiday season.
“Since it is wintertime, people tend to spend more time indoors as it gets colder, and this can lead to increased close contact with others,” Cayabyab said. “This proximity facilitates the transmission of the virus from person to person.”
Cayabyab recommends taking caution during this time.
“RSV can be especially dangerous to infants and elderly adults, which can develop into more severe problems, like bronchiolitis and pneumonia and may require hospitalization.”
High school teachers, like Jessica Sanchez, honors biology professor at Nova High School, are concerned about the spread of the virus for her students.
“I recently got sick [with RSV] about a week and a half ago. A lot of kids have also been contracting something,” she said. “We emphasize the importance of good hygiene in the classroom to keep the RSV and other viruses at bay.”
Methods to reduce the transmission may be as simple as frequent hand washing.
“It does not take a lot to help combat the spread of RSV. Staying indoors while sick and avoiding close contact with others can protect yourself and others,” Cayabyab said. “A vaccine for the more susceptible groups recently became available to help prevent lower respiratory tract disease inflicted by RSV.”
Cayabyab said the Covid-19 pandemic indirectly delayed and suppressed the timing of RSV infections, as CDC guidelines mitigated the spread of the viral infection.
“With Covid-19, the public health guidelines by the CDC with the implementation of social distancing and remote learning and work reduced contact between people that can help spread the virus,” Cayabyab said. “Now that schools and work returned, we can expect to see a surge of cases.”
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