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Doctors warn of respiratory virus affecting kids and adults

RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, can cause death in severe cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to warn you about a respiratory infection that can affect your children and even some adults.

Every winter parents should make sure their kids are bundled up, so they won't get sick, but the CDC also wants parents to watch out for Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV.

As temperatures cool down, parents like Jennifer Simon say it is tough to keep her growing two-year-old germ free.

"I think it's next to impossible in the winter, and most days, we are just trying to get through and keep him happy," Simon said.

Though beyond a cough, parents have another thing to worry about.

"That virus causes anything from a common cold," Doctor Mark Lockett said.

Lockett with Coliseum Hospital says RSV causes a spectrum of diseases.

"Anything as severe as respiratory failure, that can lead some to the ICU and in rare cases even death," Lockett said.

The CDC says nearly all kids get RSV by the time they are two, but you should not worry unless you have these symptoms.

"If you are having trouble eating or drinking, where your cough is so severe, we can't sleep, we can't eat, we can't drink, that would be the time you want to give your pediatrician a call, or your adult provider a call," Lockett said.

Lockett added you can keep your children safe by keeping them away from sick people and cleaning off surfaces. These are tips Simon says she takes a step further.

"We usually actually wash his hands before we leave daycare, so that is the first thing we do, because he likes to stall leaving daycare, so it's an easy thing we can do," Simon said.

Right now, the CDC says there is not a vaccine available to treat RSV. So, the best thing parents can do is keep a close eye on their little ones.

"All you can do is try to do the best with your kid as you can," Simon said.

Lockett says RSV is just a type of virus that causes a disease.

So, you should not be afraid of it, but just aware of what the virus is capable of doing.

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