English for Nurses: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Part 1 - Vocabulary: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Listen to the pronunciation of the terms below here. Underline the stressed syllables in each term. Make a note of any terms you don’t know.

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• acute respiratory infection (AFI)
• bronchiolitis
• pneumonia
• cold-like symptoms
• hospitalisation
• monoclonal antibody
• nirsevimab
• maternal RSV vaccine
• fever-reducing medicine
• cystic fibrosis
• chronic lung disease

*Note: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) = virus respiratoire syncytial (VRS)

Part 2 - Match the terms from the vocabulary list with their correct meanings

Part 3 - Listening

Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cOhV-isHqDU and complete the text. Watch again and compare your answers with the transcript at the end of the answer key.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common, highly contagious virus that affects the ____________ and respiratory tract, mainly of infants under the age of 2. It spreads through respiratory droplets, for example when an infected person ___________ or sneezes. It can survive on surfaces for several hours, making transmission of the virus very easy.

In most people, RSV causes mild, _____________ symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing, sneezing, fever, wheezing, and a decrease in appetite. Symptoms appear within 4 to 6 days after ___________and most people recover from the symptoms on their own using self-care measures. However, RSV can cause more serious symptoms, such as breathing difficulties and irritability in certain groups including infants under the age of 6 months, premature infants, people with lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis or __________ lung diseases and individuals with compromised immune systems.

In high-risk groups, RSV can lead to serious complications, such as bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small ____________in the lungs) and pneumonia (inflammation of the _____________of the lungs). It is the leading cause of hospitalisation of infants under the age of two in the UK.

Vaccine programmes to prevent severe RSV disease are available for _____________women, newborns and people in high-risk groups. It is recommended that pregnant women be given a _______________ RSV vaccine between weeks 32 and 36, that is, the third trimester. The protective antibodies last from birth to the first six months after birth.

Premature newborns who were born before 32 weeks, babies under the age of 8 months whose mothers did not receive RSV vaccination and infants who are at increased risk of RSV and are aged between 8 and 19 months, can now be given an infant RSV______________ called nirsevimab. Nirsevimab provides _________ immunity against RSV infection and lasts approximately 5 months after vaccination.