Psoriasis, RSV, and a Compromised Immune System

One of the things that we have to contend with when living with psoriasis is having a compromised immune system. Most of the treatments that we take for psoriasis eliminate our immune system making us susceptible to any kind of ailment. Because of this fact I try hard to stay away from anyone sick. For the most part I have been highly successful. I was worried about going out in public when COVID was at its heightened stage. I made sure to wear a mask, but I also didn’t think that those masks were fully reliable.

For as safe as we try to be sometimes situations come about that makes you disregard the compromised immune system. You know you are putting yourself at risk of being sick, but you still do it anyway.

What is RSV?

Over the past month there has been a lot of news reports talking about RSV cases being on the rise. If you do not know what RSV is it stands for respiratory syncytial virus. It is a virus that attacks the lungs and breathing passages. I know what RSV is because years ago my brother had an infant that was diagnosed with RSV and spent over a week in the hospital. At least 4 of those days were in ICU. The news reports were even saying that RSV can be diagnosed in older people, which I did not know.

An RSV diagnosis

Almost a week ago now I got a call from my son. His five-month-old daughter had started running fever at daycare and he was on his way with her to urgent care. The daycare had informed him that RSV was on the increase, and he needed to have her checked out. Once he got her to urgent care they tested her for RSV, COVID, and the flu. The result was her being RSV positive. They urged him to take her to the ER to have her further evaluated. The good news was the doctor said she was not as bad as the other children he had seen that day, but she would need to be monitored closely at home.

Being the only grandmother, my son asked if I could come down and stay with her while they work. Unfortunately, the other grandmother had passed away a few years ago from cancer. Of course, I threw some things together in a suitcase and headed their way. I knew I could potentially put myself in harm’s way to get RSV. The treatment for my psoriasis that I am on makes my immune system compromised. I am not letting that worry stop me from helping to care for my granddaughter. I know how dangerous RSV is to a baby.

No where else I'd rather be

For all the times I have been concerned about getting sick, this is not one of those times. There is nowhere else I would rather be. Since I can work at home and my son and daughter-in-law cannot being here, taking care of my granddaughter is where I need to be. If I end up being sick because I took care of her then I will have to deal with that. There are times we can control being around others that are sick. There are times we cannot. This is one of those times I choose not to be.