儿童呼吸道合胞病毒与感冒：一份年龄-年龄症状指南

呼吸道合胞病毒(相对标准偏差)不仅在寒冷和流感季节趋于高峰，这种呼吸道病毒在出现症状时还会模仿感冒。但与感冒不同的是，呼吸道合胞病毒在某些情况下可以发展到下呼吸道，这使得这种常见（且难以置信的传染性)病毒的风险因年龄而异。

RELATED:家长需要了解的呼吸道合胞病毒爆发呼吸道合胞病毒对新生儿和6个月以下的婴儿最危险。这是因为它会导致气道大量炎症，并在鼻气道和肺气道产生额外的粘液。这些堵塞会使呼吸变得非常困难，尤其是在呼吸道很小的婴儿中。虽然呼吸道合胞病毒对年龄较大的儿童和成人的危险通常要小得多，但它可以在免疫功能低下的儿童和成人（例如移植或癌症患者)中引起下呼吸道感染和严重疾病。

那么怎么知道是标准译本修订本还是感冒呢？在这里，专家为有各种年龄孩子的家庭提供指导。

亚洲女孩在户外擤鼻涕

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RSV Symptoms in Babies and Infants

In the most vulnerable age group, infants under 6 months, RSV can be a big deal. According to Amina Ahmed M.D., professor of pediatric infectious disease and immunology at Atrium Health's Levine Children's Hospital, the typical symptoms are fever, nasal congestion or rhinorrhea (runny nose), and cough. More severe symptoms of RSV in babies can include lethargy, poor feeding, and shallow, rapid breathing, which can lead to respiratory distress.

Due to the often extreme nasal congestion common with RSV, along with the difficulty breathing, the infant is unable to feed properly. This can lead to dehydration.

• RELATED: RSV in Infants: Everything Parents Need to Know

RSV Symptoms in Toddlers

By the time your baby reaches the toddler years, there's a good chance RSV won't hit them quite as hard. They're more likely to have symptoms of RSV that mirror a cold, but likely with much more mucus. When it comes to RSV versus a cold, think snot everywhere, says Jason Newland, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease physician at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "Getting that secretion and snot out is very important," he says, since most toddlers still aren't old enough to handle this on their own.

• RELATED: Toddler Cough: Causes, Treatment, and When to Worry

RSV Symptoms in Kids and Adults

For kids over 3 years old, as well as most healthy adults, the symptoms of RSV almost identically mimic a cold. That's because they have most likely had RSV several times and built up immunity, says Dr. Ahmed. Symptoms of RSV and a cold can include the following, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Congested or runny nose
• Dry cough
• Low-grade fever
• Sore throat
• Mild headache

On occasion, RSV in adults or children can progress into bronchiolitis, which can cause wheezing along with a more severe cough. But while these symptoms do indicate a lower respiratory tract infection (as opposed to upper respiratory tract, which is what a common cold is), the illness is usually not severe enough to warrant hospitalization, says Dr. Ahmed.

• RELATED: 7 Ways to Stay Healthy When Your Kid Is Sick

RSV Symptoms in the Elderly

Elderly people often have a compromised immune system. That's why, just like infants, they can become severely ill from RSV. This can result in lower respiratory tract infection similar to pneumonia that can cause wheezing or difficulty breathing. In cases like this, the elderly sufferer may require oxygen and hospitalization. The extremes of age (very young and very old) are the ones most likely to have severe disease, Dr. Ahmed says. The following are symptoms of RSV in older adults that warrant medical attention ASAP:

• Cyanosis (a blue tint) of the lips and/or nails
• Deep cough with wheezing
• High fever
• Difficulty breathing