Letter: Take this virus very seriously

I am writing in hopes of alerting the public to the seriousness of RSV - respiratory syncytial virus. RSV is very contagious and is spread through coughing and sneezing, etc. It is not because it's cold outside or due to a broken window. It is not anyone's fault.

Because it is a virus there is nothing to cure it. If one child is diagnosed with it, the possibility of a sibling also having it is good even if they don't appear as sick. It affects most kids like a common cold, but newborns can't handle the virus on their own. My 6-week-old grandson is on life support due to this virus right now (and has been for the past five days [as of Feb. 25]).

His sister also has RSV but is older so she can handle it better. Even if a child is taking medicine they should be kept separate from others until it is sure they no longer have it. For a better understanding of the virus go to http://www.dhpe.org/infect/rsv.html. It repeats a lot of the information through the page, so keep reading because there is new information throughout the article.

Melody Peckham
Marysville