He said it was ghastly with major coughing fits, a runny nose and sneezing.
“You have no energy and it mentally gets you down. It’s not nice it’s a poxy version of the flu,” he said.
Nothing eased his symptoms other than nasal spray.
RSV causes lung and respiratory tract infections and is spread through droplets from coughing, sneezing or talking.
Blackler said the SCDHB has established protocols for managing infectious diseases and "any suspected or confirmed RSV cases presenting to the Timaru Hospital are managed as per protocol to minimise risk to other patients and staff.”
The SCDHB, to contain any further spread, is asking people to not visit wards at Timaru Hospital if they have had a fever, cough, sore throat, or runny nose in the previous 24 hours. Only one person is allowed to visit per patient in all the wards, except the maternity and children wards which is allowing one support person and one visitor per person.