MASON CITY, IA - We're starting a new segment on "Covering Your Health".
It's called "Catch This" and it airs the first Monday of every month at 10pm, and Tuesday morning on DayBreak.
We want you to "catch" the information on some of the latest illnesses and health risks circulating in the community.
Disease infection preventionist nurses at Mercy Medical Center- North Iowa say lately they're seeing a lot of people come in with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, and complaints of "stomach ache."
Another one in the area right now is Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV.
It's a virus that's the most common cause of bronchiolitis.
For more information you can call the Mercy Family Healthline at 641-422-7777 or check below for preventative tips and more detailed information.
Symptoms being reported are: vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, complaints of “stomach ache”.
Preventative Measures
•Hand washing! This is the number one preventative measure to stop the spread of illness!
•Stay home when you are sick
•Offer ice chips or pieces of popsicle initially
•When ice chips are tolerated, you may begin to offer sips of clear liquid (stay away from dairy products and fruit juices, limit caffeine intake)
•Rest
•Don’t offer food until at least 8 hours after vomiting has stopped and then it should be a bland diet
•Anti-diarrhea medication is rarely needed for diarrhea symptoms, unless your physician suggests this
The symptoms will typically subside in 12-24 hours.
See your physician if:
•Fever lasts longer than 3 days
•Signs of dehydration are present (no urination for 8-12 hours, inside of mouth becomes dry, sticky or tacky)
•Unable to hold anything down for greater than 8 hours
•Any blood is present in the diarrhea or vomitus
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
What is RSV?
RSV is a virus that is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age in the United States.
When is the risk for RSV infection the greatest?
RSV infections generally occur in the United States from November to April. However, the timing of the season may differ among locations and from year to year.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are very similar to other respiratory infections and may include:
•Cough and sneezing
•Runny nose
•Fever
•And at times wheezing and decrease in appetite.
When do symptoms occur?
People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days. However, some infants and people with weakened immune systems can be contagious for as long as 4 weeks. Infants and children infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days of infection. Most will recover in 1 to 2 weeks.
Who gets RSV?
Generally RSV is considered a childhood disease, however adults may contract it as well.
How is RSV spread?
RSV can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes into the air. Coughing and sneezing send virus-containing droplets into the air, where they can infect another person if these droplets come in contact with their mouth, nose, or eyes.
Infection can also result from direct contact, like when kissing the face of a child who has RSV, or by indirect contact, like when an infected person sneezes into their hand and then touches a doorknob, that is then touched by others.
What can be done to prevent the spread of RSV?
•Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.
•Wash hands frequently, for 15-20 seconds.
•Avoid sharing cups or utensils with others.
•Refrain from kissing others when ill.
•Avoid contact with others, if possible, when ill.
•Cleaning contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs, may help stop the spread of RSV.
(References from: Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
Call Mercy Family Health Line at 641-422-7777 or 1-800-468-0050 for further discussion with a nurse.
