Hey 👋🏻 all, in this blog story, SiennyLovesDrawing 👩🏻 is gonna sharing that  in recent years, respiratory viruses have become household concerns 😲 😳 

Yet 1️⃣ silent & surprisingly common threat continues to be misunderstood ~ Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Yes ✅, a virus you may never heard of is sending Malaysian babies 🇲🇾👶🏻 to the ICU 🏥 & putting older adults at risk. Doctors & parents reminded all that it’s time to be prepared & act

Often brushed off as just another seasonal cold 🥶, RSV is actually 1️⃣ of the leading causes of serious respiratory 🫁 illness, hospitalisation 🏥 & death among infants 👶🏻 under 6️⃣ months & older adults aged 60 & above 👴🏻👵🏻

Globally, RSV is responsible for over 33 million lower respiratory tract infections in children 👶🏻 under 5️⃣ each year. Of these, 3.6 million cases require hospitalisation 🏥 & nearly 100K results in death ☠️💀 Among older adults 👴🏻👵🏻, particularly those living with diabetes, asthma 🫁, or heart ❤️ conditions, RSV can worsen existing health problems & cause severe complications that mimic or intensify pneumonia & chronic lung disease 🫁

Despite its global burden, RSV often flies under the radar. Most parents & caregivers have never even heard of it ~ Until their loved 1️⃣ ends up in the hospital 🏥

“We’ve seen previously healthy newborns 👶🏻 end up in the intensive care unit within days due to RSV,” says Dr. Gan Chin Seng 👨🏻‍⚕️, Consultant Paediatrician & Paediatric Intensivist of Sunway Medical Centre 🏥

“1️⃣ of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do is watch a baby 👶🏻 fight to breathe 👃🏻🫁 while their parents stand by, unable to do anything. It’s heartbreaking ❤️ & I’ve witnessed this far too many times.”

In Malaysia 🇲🇾, RSV infections occur throughout the year but tend to peak during the monsoon season ⛈️🌪️🌧️, between Aug & Jan. Each year during the rainy season, Dr. Gan 👨🏻‍⚕️ & his team at the Paediatric ICU Care for waves of young patients struggling to breathe. Many of them are just weeks old & require mechanical ventilation for survival

Protecting Babies 👶🏻 Before Their 1️⃣st Breath 👃🏻🫁

For Dr. Gayathri Mariappa 👩🏿‍⚕️, the danger of RSV became painfully personal when her own son 👶🏻 fell ill at just 4️⃣ months old

“I still remember the fear in my heart ❤️,” says Dr. Gayathri 👩🏿‍⚕️, a Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology of Sunway Medical Velocity 🏥 specialising in Maternal Fetal Medicine

“Despite being a doctor 👩🏿‍⚕️, nothing prepares you for the helplessness of seeing your child experience difficulty breathing 👃🏻🫁, requiring oxygen support & nebulisation. That moment forever changed how I spoke to my patients about prevention.”

Since then, Dr. Gayathri 👩🏿‍⚕️ has made it a mission to raise awareness among expecting mothers 🤰🏻 about RSV & how early protection begins with maternal care. She explains that certain vaccines 💉administered during pregnancy help pass protective antibodies to the baby 👶🏻 This natural transfer offers critical protection during the 1️⃣st few months of life, when babies are most vulnerable & too young for their own vaccinations 💉

“Maternal immunisation creates a protective shield for your baby 👶🏻,” she says 👩🏿‍⚕️ “It is like handing them an invisible blanket that guards them from life-threatening infections before they’ve even taken their 1️⃣st breath 👃🏻🫁”

In Malaysia 🇲🇾, expectant mothers are already encouraged to receive vaccines 💉 such as tetanus, influenza & pertussis. These vaccines 💉 are known to protect both mother & child. Although RSV-specific maternal immunisation is not yet routine here, global health experts are actively studying its potential

“Every mother wants to give her child the best start in life,” says Dr. Gayathri 👩🏿‍⚕️

“In many cases, that start begins with disease prevention.”

The Emotional & Financial Cost of RSV

Beyond the clinical statistics, RSV takes a heavy emotional & financial toll on families

The Netherlands’ 🇳🇱 BRICK Study, 1️⃣ of the most comprehensive international RSV research efforts, found that nearly 30% of parents whose infants 👶🏻 were hospitalised for RSV showed signs of post-traumatic stress 😬 Families also face lost income from time off work, high ⬆️ hospital bills & the emotional strain of seeing a child or elderly loved ones on life support

In Malaysia 🇲🇾, the situation is similar. Many parents spend anxious days at their child’s bedside 🛏️, struggling to understand how a virus 🦠 they’ve never heard of could turn their world 🌍 upside down

“If we can prevent even 1️⃣ family from going through what mine went through, it’s worth everything,” says Dr. Gayathri 👩🏿‍⚕️, reflecting on her own experience as a mother & a doctor

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A post shared by Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (@sunwaymedicalcentrevelocity)

From Grandchildren to Grandparents: A Shared Risk

While RSV is often associated with children, its impact on older adults is just as alarming. Seniors 👴🏻👵🏻 with underlying conditions such as diabetes, heart ❤️ disease, or chronic lung 🫁 conditions are especially vulnerable. The concern is particularly significant in Malaysia 🇲🇾, where more than half a million adults live with 4️⃣ or more chronic health conditions, according to the 2023 National Health & Morbidity Survey (NHMS). For this group, even a mild RSV infection can trigger severe complications & hospitalisation 🏥

Many elderly patients 👴🏻👵🏻 infected with RSV may not even realise they are seriously ill 🤢🤧 Symptoms such as fatigue 😞, low-grade fever 🤒 & confusion often resemble those of other common illnesses or may simply be chalked up to old age. As a result, RSV often goes undiagnosed until the condition worsens & complications like pneumonia or heart ❤️ failure occur

“Older adults tend to dismiss early symptoms,” says Dr. Gan 👨🏻‍⚕️

“Unfortunately, by the time they come to us, they are often in much more serious condition than they realise.”

The problem is compounded in multigenerational homes, a common arrangement in Malaysia 🇲🇾 When babies 👶🏻 & grandparents 👴🏻👵🏻 live under the same roof 🏡, the potential for transmission increases ⬆️ During confinement periods or festive gatherings, even a mild cough from 1️⃣ family member could trigger a chain of illness affecting the most fragile members of the household

“This is why we talk about RSV protection as a family issue,” explains Dr. Gayathri 👩🏿‍⚕️

“When a pregnant mother 🤰🏻 is protected, she shields her baby 👶🏻 When an elderly grandparent 👵🏻👴🏻 is protected, they help safeguard the entire home 🏡 It’s about caring for 1️⃣ another, across generations.”

Healthcare professionals are encouraging expectant mothers to speak with their doctors 👩🏻‍⚕️👨🏻‍⚕️ about immunisation during pregnancy 🤰🏻 These conversations during routine antenatal visits can make all the difference. Meanwhile, adult children are urged to ensure that their elderly parents 👴🏻👵🏻 are up to date with their respiratory-related vaccinations 💉, particularly during the rainy season 🌧️☔

Recognising RSV early is equally important. Symptoms in both infants 👶🏻 & the elderly 👵🏻👴🏻 include coughing 😷, wheezing, difficulty breathing 👃🏻🫁, fatigue 😞 & poor appetite. In older adults, signs such as confusion or unusual tiredness 🥱😩 should also be taken seriously

As Malaysia 🇲🇾 moves through another RSV season, the medical community is united in its call to action: Let’s not wait until another baby 👶🏻 ends up in the ICU or another grandparent is struggling to breathe 👃🏻🫁 Every breath matters ~ From your child’s 1️⃣st to your parent’s next

“Vaccination 💉 is not just for those who are sick,” says Dr. Gan 👨🏻‍⚕️

“It is for those who are healthy & want to stay that way. Especially for the most vulnerable, prevention is peace of mind.”

#MedicalCentre #WePrioritiseYourHealth #healthcare #health #medical #RSV #Respiratory SyncytialVirus