DUBLIN, Ga. — Doctors nationwide say a childhood illness is on the rise.
It's called Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. At Dublin's Fairview Park Hospital, they had 7 admissions last year compared to 19 already in 2021.
Dr. Lawrence Lockett a pediatrician with Fairview Park Hospital said it's generally a wintertime disease.
Many RSV cases happened this year around April or May, likely due to mask restrictions being lifted.
Hannah Mimbs' son, Ladson, was diagnosed with RSV at 2-and-a-half months.
"It was hard seeing him sick just because you worry. You could tell he was really working hard to breathe. He was congested, and there was only so much I could do for him. There aren't many medicines you can give a 2-month-old," said Mimbs.
According to Dr. Lockett, symptoms of RSV are, "You'll have fever, you'll have cough, you'll have congestion. You'll have trouble breathing, and there can be some overlap with COVID there. That is generally where the similarities end," said Dr. Lockett.
Dr. Lockett said RSV is strictly a respiratory infection, while COVID can cause infection throughout the body.
"When you start seeing vomiting, diarrhea, muscles aches, things like that, you are more likely talking about COVID," said Dr. Lockett, symptoms Mimbs found in her son.
"He was coughing, had a snotty nose. He wasn't really taking his bottle as well. I think it was because he was so congested and he was very sleepy all day," said Mimbs.
Ladson spent two days in the hospital.
"He was given several different breathing treatments. I would do saline in his nose and suction it out. Then when we went home, he was given oral steroids along with the breathing treatments," said Mimbs.
Ladson is still working to recover from RSV.
Dr. Lockett said use common sense -- if your child seems ill, take them to be treated. The name of the disease is not as important as the severity of the symptoms.