Airway disease affects kids, many suffer severe breathing distress in Kolkata
Times of India | 10 October 2025over the past three weeks.
The reason behind the symptoms was Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in a majority of these cases. Other viruses had also unleashed by temperature fluctuations and frequent spells of rain, said doctors.
While around 60% of children were suffering from airway disease due to RSV, the rest did not have the virus, according to RN Tagore Hospital paediatrician and neo-natal expert Indranil Roy Choudhury. "We have been receiving a steady stream of patients with symptoms that are severe.
Most have breathing distress due to airway inflammation, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Post-puja, there was a slight drop in the number of patients," added Roy Choudhury.
Around 30% of the cases were severe, according to paediatrician Shantanu Ray. "Many needed hospitalisation and had to be nebulised. A few needed bipap, while many are on oxygen support. The flow of patients has been consistently high for the last one month, and the symptoms were severe for a section," he said.
The paediatric and neo-natal wards at Fortis Hospital were full of children with breathing distress since last month, said paediatric consultant Sumita Saha. "The RSV outbreak started in early Sept, and most patients at the ward were affected by the virus. This time, we have seen slightly older children – those aged between three and five – also getting RSV or similar other viral attacks," said Saha.
"RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus causes bronchiolitis, respiratory distress, and becomes severe with pre-existing congenital cardiac diseases, prematurity, and malnutrition," said Sovana Haque, consultant paediatrician, Charnock Hospitals.
She added that the virus infects the lining of the airways, leading to inflammation and swelling of the bronchioles, a condition known as bronchiolitis. On the basis of RSV Clinical Assessment Severity Score (RSV-CLASS), a newer simple quick-use clinical practice parameter includes four items: cough, tachypnea, rales, and wheezing, with one point for each.
A higher score needs more hospital admissions.
The period between Nov and Feb is the most critical, not only for COPD patients but also for children who are vulnerable to increased pollution.Schoolchildren, office-goers, and daily commuters have been affected since they are exposed to transmission," said MS Purkait, medical superintendent of Techno India DAMA Hospital.
