RSV infections continue to rise in Utah

PARK CITY, Utah — Utah has seen an increasing number of RSV cases and now experts say they expect it to rise through the holidays.

One local family is thankful they had care nearby when their 3-month-old son got sick with RSV.

“I noticed something was off, he was less smiley. He was eating a little less,” Linnea Goodman said.

She said congestion then started to make it hard for her son Morrissey to breathe.

“We went to the doctor on day three, and by day six he was sick as a dog. We were in the hospital overnight,” she said.

Morrissey had RSV and was admitted to Intermountain Park City Hospital.

“We stayed three nights and two of those nights, it was scary we didn’t know which way it was going to turn; I couldn’t imagine what we would have done if we were at home,” Morrisey’s dad Chas Goodman said.

“We are overrun in the state of Utah with RSV,” said Dr. Russell Bradford of Park City Hospital.

Bradford treated Morrissey and he said RSV affects small children like Morrissey the most.

“RSV is an infection of the smallest airways in the lung, it causes lots of mucus. So for a baby with already small airways, it’s hard on them,” he said.

Bradford said RSV presents itself like a cold, but if your child is having severe symptoms like trouble breathing, if their lips are blue which is a sign of low oxygen, or if they are having trouble staying hydrated then you should go to your local hospital.

“It’s better to get that attention sooner rather than later,” he said.

After three nights in the hospital and a week of visits to the hospital to clear out Morrissey’s congestion, he started to feel better.

“We have a happy healthy baby again,” his mother said.

The Goodmans say they are thankful to have received care close to home.

“We have this hospital ten minutes from our house, we are so happy they are right there,” she said.

Bradford said if you have a young baby limit their exposure to other people to avoid infection while cases continue to increase.

He added the best way to prevent the spread is to stay home when sick and wear a mask.

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