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Central Ohio sees uptick in RSV cases in children

Dr. Shane Jeffers says when in doubt parents should always have the mindset of better safe than sorry.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Across Central Ohio the cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are up.

“There have been more cases lately,” Dr. Shane Jeffers said. “This has mostly been reported over at Children’s [Nationwide Hospital].”

Dr. Jeffers is a general primary care doctor with Mount Carmel in Groveport. He says RSV, which is grouped under common cold, is not typically diagnosed in adults, but for small children it’s far more noticeable.

Dr. Jeffers says when in doubt parents should always have the mindset of better safe than sorry.

“Go to your doctor early,” he said. “I would rather look at a thousand children with mild colds than miss one that needs better care.”

He says the reason for the uptick could be a couple of reasons.

First, it’s a common cold and it’s cold and flu season. Second, he says people are not as buttoned up as they used to be during Covid.

“The last few years our population, because of Covid, has been wearing masks most places, which nowadays very few people are, but also people have been much more aware of hand hygiene and general transmission of illness [and] staying home if they’re sick.”

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