Increase In Respiratory Illnesses Among Very Young Noted In Lincoln, Omaha Areas

By Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner:

October 31, 2022

LINCOLN — Health officials in Nebraska’s two largest counties are reporting notable increases in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department on Monday reported outbreaks in at least 13 local child care facilities, while a spokesman with the Douglas County Health Department reported more than 250 cases last week, a new high for the year.

Lancaster County saw 238 cases of RSV in October, which was nearly four times as many as in September. Eighty-five percent of the cases involved children ages 5 and younger.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms and runs its course in a week or two. But officials said it can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.

Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez said that some of the same precautionary steps that prevent COVID-19 and the spread of the flu can protect against RSV.

Those steps include: washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, wearing a mask if you have symptom, and staying home if you’re sick and avoiding contact with others.

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