Mother of baby hospitalized with RSV tells story

Greensboro, North Carolina (WGHP) – Health experts warn that respiratory syncytial virus, commonly called RSV, is spreading rapidly across the United States. Overwhelming Many children’s hospitals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV is mainly associated with inflammation of the lungs or infected airways in children under the age of one.

“For us, a cold is something that can be deadly for a baby,” said Alison Blocker, mother of a baby with RSV in North Carolina.

Blocker’s 8-week-old Ava was hospitalized, intubated, and battling the virus for more than a week on a ventilator.

“That’s something parents never want to see,” she said. “No parent needs to see.”

When her daughter developed a cough and runny nose on October 12, Blocker didn’t think much of it at first. she took her to the pediatrician.

“I never dreamed we would end up in the hospital,” Blocker said. “The nurse practitioner took one look at her and she immediately called her ambulance.”

Doctors quickly diagnosed her baby with RSV. Within days of showing her symptoms, she started wheezing and had trouble breathing.

Blocker told FOX8 that doctors gave her baby plenty of oxygen within 24 hours of her hospitalization.

A few days later she was put on a ventilator on October 16th.

“It breaks my heart to see my child on it,” she said. “Because the baby can’t breathe, she feels like she’s lost her ability to breathe.”

The eight-week-old was intubated for two and a half days while her tiny body battled the virus.

Blocker said her baby had a “mucus plug” in her lung that had collapsed. She was stuck with some IVs.

“I can’t help but go to that place. I have to say, ‘I’m going to lose my baby.’ I’ve only been with my baby for eight weeks. I’m going to lose my baby.” Blocker said. “It was from something that could be prevented by wearing a mask and prevented by not letting a child get sick. It would spread like wildfire and thus expose another family.” .”

Blocker stayed with the baby while she was being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit at Moses Cohn Hospital.

“I knew I couldn’t move much on my own,” she said. I couldn’t hold her. I could barely touch her.

Moses Cone Children’s Unit Medical Director Doctor Suresh Nagappan told Nexstar’s WGHP that there are untreated patients in the children’s unit, most of them under the age of two.

“Probably the worst RSV year of my career,” he said.

Nagappan experienced an outbreak of RSV earlier this year. His younger patients have been sick longer, he said.

“We’re just supporting them until the virus gets better, and unfortunately there’s no magic pill that will make them get better right away,” Nagappan said.

Blocker’s daughter was one of the lucky ones, recovering after nine days in the hospital.

“I never knew how blessed and how lucky we were to be able to go home,” she said. I never imagined I would have to.”

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Staff Report an increase in RSV casescompared to the same period last year.

most children Infection with RSV causes mild symptoms, according to the CDC. Symptoms of RSV usually develop within 4 to 6 days after exposure.

Parents should be aware of these symptoms in their children.

• runny nose
• loss of appetite
• cough
• sneeze
• heat
• Wheezing

“If you are concerned that your infant or child is really breathing heavily, breathing rapidly, won’t eat or drink at all, and is dehydrated, see your pediatrician or You should go to the emergency room for things,” Nagappan said.

Health officials are encouraging what people have learned during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus, such as washing hands, using hand sanitizer, wearing masks and practicing social distancing.