A mother whose “happy little boy” took three months to recover after spending two nights in hospital on an oxygen ventilator, testing positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid, has urged other parents to “trust their instincts” when it comes to their child’s health. Hanna Konnovs’ 21-month-old son Maksim, a “happy and funny” boy who is “full of energy”, was born in June 2021 with no underlying health conditions or illnesses, however, he started displaying “worrying” symptoms at 16 months old, which were initially misdiagnosed.
Hanna, 28, a student support adviser who lives in Norfolk with her husband, Andrejs, 38, a traffic management operative, said Maksim started wheezing, his breathing rate increased, he was “unhappy” and he was not eating anything – a “huge contrast” to his usual self. Hanna visited the GP on multiple occasions and was prescribed antibiotics for pharyngitis and tonsilitis, but Maksim’s condition worsened and this resulted in her taking him to A&E on two occasions, where he was put on an oxygen ventilator overnight to help him breathe.
It was during the first visit to A&E that Hanna was told Maksim had respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – a virus that can cause respiratory illness in infants – and this caused him to develop bronchiolitis, a chest infection. Hanna said she “knew something was wrong” and she is glad she pushed for a diagnosis, as it took her son three months to recover – and she would encourage other parents to learn more about RSV, as she feels there should be more education on the symptoms of the virus.
“One thing that really stood out to me was looking through the symptoms and which children are more prone to suffering with it,” Hanna said. "My child didn’t meet any of those criteria – he didn’t have underlying health conditions, he wasn’t born early – but he still struggled with it more than an average child. So, I think if you are worried, just trust your instincts.
“Even if you think your child might not suffer with it seriously because they don’t meet all the checkboxes, it’s still worth taking them to the healthcare professionals.” According to NHS resources, symptoms of a lower respiratory tract infection caused by a virus like RSV include cold-like symptoms such as a blocked nose, a cough or a fever; decreased activity; and a loss of appetite in older children or decreased feeding in babies.
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Most RSV infections in babies are mild and will typically clear up within a few weeks on their own, but some infections can be more serious and hospital care may be needed. Hanna said Maksim was an “easy baby” and was born with no health issues, however, at 16 months old, she suddenly noticed some concerning symptoms.
“He was just unhappy,” she said. “He was always a happy little boy, and he was just more upset than usual, and he wasn’t eating anything.”
Hanna took Maksim to see his GP and he was initially diagnosed with pharyngitis – often referred to as ‘sore throat’ – and was prescribed antibiotics. Days later, after seeing only minor improvements in his health, Hanna revisited the GP and was then told Maksim had tonsilitis.
Within a matter of hours, Hanna noticed that Maksim’s breathing worsened – it was getting louder, he was wheezing, and it was clear he was finding it hard to breathe. “I was getting him ready for bed at night and I noticed he was quite wheezy, and his stomach was sucking in every time he breathed,” Hanna explained.
“I thought that was a red flag. I filmed a little clip and sent it to my sister, and she said, ‘Yeah, take him to hospital now’.”
Hanna took Maksim to the A&E department at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and he was immediately taken to a hospital bed, given oxygen and put on a ventilator as doctors could see he was “struggling with his breathing”. She said she “didn’t know what to expect” and she was worried about her son, but she was thankful she had taken him to hospital as he was “in trusted hands”.
Doctors checked on Maksim regularly, tested him for Covid-19, and also took an X-ray to check for pneumonia, however, the tests came back as negative, and he was discharged from hospital the following day after his breathing had improved. While Hanna was pleased Maksim was better, she feared his symptoms would return – and they did, just days later.
“He was fine for a few days, and then he began to get the same symptoms again, with the faster breathing, and his wheezing was really bad on the second occasion,” Hanna said. “He was coughing and just generally unhappy, and he was using his stomach muscles to breathe too, so we took him in again.”
After initial observations, Maksim was taken to a hospital bed and given an inhaler, which he had to take every few hours to help him breathe. It was not until this second A&E visit that Hanna was told that Maksim had also developed Covid.
“It was worrying because I didn’t really know much about RSV,” Hanna said. “All they had said to me was we need him to be on a ward, but it’s very contagious, so we need him to be in his own room.”
The pair were discharged from hospital the following morning, and Hanna was told to monitor Maksim over the next 24 hours, administering the inhaler when needed, and to go back to the GP if his breathing did not improve in the following weeks. Hanna said the wheezing persisted and it took three months for her son to recover fully, but he gradually “got back to his normal self” and she was relieved.
Now, knowing more about RSV and the symptoms after her son’s diagnosis, Hanna feels it is extremely important to raise awareness so that parents are informed and can make right decisions when it comes to their child’s health and wellbeing. “I think it’s really important to raise awareness, just so parents are informed on the main symptoms, so that they don’t hesitate, and they know when the red flag symptom is there, and what to do about it,” Hanna explained.
She added: “My advice to parents would be to definitely trust your instincts, and if you’re not sure, I think it’s worth seeing a doctor.” To find out more about RSV, visit Together Against RSV’s website: www.togetheragainstrsv.com
