RSV cases are on the rise in Alabama, prompting health officials to urge residents to seek testing if they experience symptoms. The virus can be severe for vulnerable populations, but vaccinations can lessen its impact.
State Health Officer Dr. Burnestine Taylor said the viruses show similar symptoms, including fever, cough and a runny nose. The best advice is to go to a provider, and you can get testing and easily differentiate between the three because early on, you can’t tell which one is which,” Taylor said. RSV is considered highly contagious and can severely affect babies, younger children, and senior adults.
Montgomery resident Deborah Owen said she and her husband were diagnosed with RSV recently, which quickly spread to two other family members. “The next day, my sister was diagnosed with RSV, and a few days later, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with RSV,” Owen said. Owen added she was fortunate that none of her family had to be hospitalized, crediting the vaccination preventing the virus from becoming pneumonia.Taylor added that staying up to date on vaccinations won’t guarantee full immunity, but it can lessen the severity of the virus