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What parents should know about RSV

As RSV cases continue to spike across parts of the U.S. — with some areas nearing seasonal peak levels — those typical “bugs” your child brings home may have you feeling on edge. With so much swirling around these days, it can be diffi cult to know what’s behind a constant cough, especially if your child is very young.

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, can include symptoms similar to a common cold. However, the virus can develop into something more serious. RSV can infect people of all ages but is most severe for older adults and young children.

Usually almost every child under the age of 2 has been exposed to RSV, but due to all the pandemic response over the last few years, kids have not been exposed as much to RSV. That is one of the reasons why we are seeing such a spike this year, as well as RSV in children older than 2.

Symptoms

RSV symptoms may vary and typically begin four to six days after infection. The most common symptoms might include:

Runny nose

Low appetite

Coughing

Sneezing Fever Wheezing For young infants with RSV, they might be irritable, sluggish or fi nd it harder to breathe. Your pediatrician will be able to fi gure out whether it’s a common cold, COVID-19 or RSV, if you have concerns about symptoms your child is showing. They might perform tests, like chest X-rays, to see if pneumonia has developed.

When should you call a doctor?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes an increase in RSV-associated emergency room visits. However, most cases will go away on its own in a week or two. Symptoms are typically at their worst on days three to fi ve of infection. Only 3% of children with RSV will require a hospital stay.

If symptoms become severe, contact your pediatrician right away. This may include:

Symptoms of bronchiolitis

Symptoms of dehydration (only one wet diaper in 8 hours or more)

Diffi culty breathing

Gray or blue lips, tongue or skin

A signifi cant decrease in activity or alertness

Even though RSV is common, and it might seem diffi cult to fi gure out how severe it will become, there are some risk factors parents should be aware of.

Children who are born premature or are 6 months old or younger are most at-risk for RSV complications. Children with chronic heart or lung disease, or a weaker immune system, can also be susceptible to RSV.

Treatment

There’s currently no vaccine to prevent RSV and no specifi c treatment for the infection. As stated, most cases will resolve on their own. However, there are a few things you can do to help relieve the symptoms:

Manage pain and fever with overthe-counter medications (consult your pediatrician for guidance and never give aspirin to children)

Drink plenty of fl uids

Nasal saline to help with breathing

Cool-mist humidifi er to help break up mucus

Talk to your health care provider before you give any over-the-counter cold medicine to your child.

DR. MATTHEW HUSA

Columnist Columnist

How it spreads

RSV is typically spread through coughs and sneezes, but can spread when someone touches a surface that has the virus on it and then touches their face, before washing their hands.

The following tips may help reduce your family’s risk:

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your arm, not your hands.

Avoid close contact with others, especially those who are sick.

Wash your hands frequently.

Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home.

If you’re sick, stay home.

The best way to avoid transmission of RSV is what we have been doing very well over the last few years: Scrupulous hand hygiene with washing our hands frequently with soap and water, and cleaning the surfaces small hands get to, like doorknobs and handles. Also, wear a mask if you have any respiratory symptoms.

With the knowledge of what RSV may look like — and how it is different from other viruses — you’ll be able to take steps to keep your child as healthy as possible all year round.

For more information, visit the CDC website.

Dr. Matthew Husa is the chief medical offi cer of UnitedHealthcare of Colorado & Wyoming.

Outnumbered but never out of the game

They were a new and small startup consulting company. Having barely opened the doors of the business, they identifi ed an opportunity where their specialized expertise could help fi nd and deliver the solutions that a very large corporate prospect was looking for. Although they were new and small, their reputation in the industry was solid, and they were invited to compete for the business.

Three other organizations were also invited in to vie for the opportunity to possibly provide services to the prospective client. All three were well-established consulting companies and were coming to the table with decades of experience and proven track records of success. There was not much risk in choosing any of these three companies.

As the vetting process went on, the founders of the tiny startup still believed that they could absolutely provide the highest levels of service for the prospective client and were already starting to assemble a bench of potential independent contractors they would need should they be awarded the business. They discussed the competition every week as the process went on, and they knew they were outnumbered and maybe even seen as outmatched because of the strong reputations of the three competitors.

Outnumbered and maybe outmatched, yet they were never out of the game.

When the prospect had made the announcement that they had narrowed the fi eld down to two, the small startup was not shocked to fi nd themselves in the fi nal two. They truly believed that they could provide the client with exceptional service and work with them to deliver the desired results. Their fi nal competitor was shocked that the prospect had selected the startup, and they became overconfi dent that they would win. This was a mistake.

In the fi nal discovery, due diligence and sales presentations, the team from the startup showed up better prepared and presented comprehensive performance solutions that included a practical and tactical plan that made sense. The larger, more established, and wellknown and respected consulting company came in with overengineered and complicated plans, and plans that included very little in the way of tactical execution.

At the end of the process the prospective client awarded the business to the new and small startup because they felt like they had demonstrated that they had the client’s best interest at heart. Although they were new and small, they trusted them enough to assemble a team that could meet all expectations and deliverables. Outnumbered, perceived to be outmatched, but never out of the game.

When the executive team of this startup shared their reasons from why and how they won, I was so fi red up and happy for them. I mean who doesn’t love a great underdog victory story? It had me refl ecting on some of the situations where I found myself in the underdog’s seat, and where I may have lost a little bit of confi dence myself.

In life, there are times where we all get to feeling a bit outnumbered and outmatched, so much so that we become uninspired or demo-

WINNING WORDS

Michael Norton

SEE NORTON, P7

TANDARD BLADESB R I G H T O N SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903 75c I

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