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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a major |
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cause of seasonal respiratory infections that, though mild for most |
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individuals, can disproportionately affect older adults and young |
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children; and |
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WHEREAS, This highly contagious virus is so common that most |
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children have been infected with it by the age of two; it spreads |
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though the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes around |
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others and through contact with contaminated objects and surfaces, |
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and it is most often seen from November through late March in Texas; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, For many, the symptoms of RSV mimic those of the |
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common cold, but severe cases can occur when the infection spreads |
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to the lower respiratory tract; in infants, RSV is the most common |
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cause of bronchiolitis, or inflammation of the small airway |
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passages in the lungs, and pneumonia; the virus also poses an |
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elevated risk to older adults, people with heart and lung disease, |
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and immunocompromised people; and |
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WHEREAS, Every year, RSV leads to approximately 2.1 million |
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outpatient visits and to as many as 80,000 hospitalizations among |
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children younger than five years old in the U.S. and as many as |
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160,000 hospitalizations among adults 65 years and older; more than |
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70 percent of infants hospitalized for RSV are full-term, otherwise |
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healthy newborns; less than two percent of infants are eligible for |
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RSV preventative medication, and there is currently no approved |
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treatment for the illness, only supportive care; and |
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WHEREAS, The ability to identify and act upon the signs and |
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symptoms of severe RSV infection can potentially save lives, and |
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the observance of RSV Awareness Day serves to further educate the |
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public about this highly pervasive, yet often overlooked illness; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 16, 2023, as RSV Awareness Day |
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and encourage all Texans to learn more ways they can stop the spread |
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of RSV. |