Upper respiratory infections among children are on the rise in North Georgia, and public health officials are urging parents to keep their sick children at home.
District Two Public Health issued a health advisory for increased activity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
District Two spokesperson Natasha Young says health officials have been notified of “an uptick of children presenting with upper respiratory infections requiring hospitalization in North Georgia.”
RSV spreads through droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, and through direct contact with contaminated surfaces.
The symptoms of RSV in children 6 months and older may include: decreased appetite, followed by a cough, sneezing, fever, and possible wheezing. In children six months or younger, symptoms may present as irritability, poor feeding, lethargy, and apnea with or without fever.
“There is no specific treatment for RSV infection, and in most cases, symptoms can be managed at home,” Young says. The CDC recommends anyone who feels sick should remain at home until the symptoms are gone.
Childcare facilities that experience an increase in children with upper respiratory infections should contact District Two Public Health to obtain contact tracing information at 770-535-5743.
For more information about RSV, visit https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.
