RSV cases rise among infants; Chennai clinics report surge in footfall

CHENNAI: With Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections among infants and toddlers steadily climbing, paediatricians sound the alarm, warning that outpatient footfall at city clinics and hospitals has noticeably increased over the past two weeks. Doctors say the rising number of young children arriving with relentless cough, wheezing and breathing distress indicates a clear seasonal surge that parents must not ignore.

"For the past ten days, the patient footfall has been rising sharply. Every day, we are seeing more infants with RSV-like symptoms, especially breathing difficulty," a senior paediatrician at a leading city hospital said, noting that the trend is visible across private clinics as well.

City resident Vijayalakshmi Sivashankar described her distressing experience after her eight-month-old daughter developed a severe RSV infection. "We kept her in the ICU for four days, and she was hospitalised for a week. As parents, we suffered immensely," she told DT Next.

"RSV spreads through droplets from cough or cold and targets the lungs. My daughter had fast breathing and a history of wheezing. Even with continuous nebulisation, she didn't improve. The virus had spread into her lungs, so she needed oxygen ventilation for three days. She was unconscious and fed through a tube. Those were horrific days. People must be aware and careful," she said.

Paediatrician Dr Sagul Ramanuja Mugunthan said, "RSV Bronchiolitis routinely peaks in winter and monsoon, but this season we are seeing more children under two years with respiratory distress. Most recover with mild symptoms, but for infants under six months, low-birth-weight babies, preterm infants and those with congenital heart disease, the infection can turn severe."

Dr Sagul stressed that parents of healthy, regularly breastfed babies need not panic. "RSV looks like a common fever in the first three days. For some, symptoms worsen later, but even after recovering, the cough can linger for two to three weeks. Hydration, frequent feeding, saline nasal drops, steam inhalation, head elevation during sleep and paracetamol are usually enough at home. Antibiotics are useless and should never be given without medical advice," he explained.

Dr Rema Chandra Mohan, former Director of the Institute of Child Health and a popular paediatrician, said laboratory confirmations have increased, not the virus itself. "RSV is not new. Earlier, diagnosis was clinical. Now, because samples are sent for testing, more cases are being confirmed. Preterm and low-birth-weight babies are more vulnerable, and winter footfall is always higher," she told this correspondent.

However, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Director Dr Sumathi Chandran maintained that the situation is not alarming. "Seasonal influenza rises during the monsoon, and RSV follows a similar pattern. We have no severe RSV admissions right now. There is no need to panic," she said.

Even as experts reassure that RSV is a seasonal, manageable infection, they emphasise the urgency of prevention: avoiding crowded places, masking, maintaining hygiene, and protecting vulnerable infants, especially during this period of rising paediatric respiratory illnesses.