Kansas City Officers Hailed as Heroes After Saving Baby With RSV Who Stopped Breathing

As cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surge among kids in the United States, a pair of Kansas City police officers saw its effects firsthand, and they quickly jumped into action to save the life of a one-month-old baby.

Officers Charles Owen and Richard DuChaine responded last week to the home of Tajanea Allen when her infant daughter, Kamiyah, suddenly stopped breathing.

The incident, which was caught on body camera, showed both police officers performing CPR on the tiny child. Owen told TODAY in an interview that the baby looked like a doll as she was so small.

DuChaine performed CPR on unresponsive infant 

DuChaine added it was definitely a scary moment. He was the one who performed chest compressions and back thrusts on Kamiyah for more than 30 seconds while the infant was unresponsive. His heroic actions paid dividends as the child miraculously began breathing again.

One of the officers can be heard on the body camera footage joyfully remarking that the baby was breathing already. Kamiyah was later taken to an area hospital, where the baby stayed for nearly a week as she recovered from the deadly RSV.

Owen said they had heard about RSV, but when they actually saw its effects on a person, it was very scary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that RSV is a respiratory illness that causes people to have mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people infected with the virus recover within a couple of weeks, but the illness can be serious in infants and young kids, according to CNBC.

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RSV cases among young children rising in the United States 

The United States is facing a plethora of RSV cases in kids. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), more than 20 states in the country are reporting that 80 percent or more of their pediatric hospital beds are now occupied.

Dr. John Torres, a senior medical correspondent at NBC News, said in an interview that children are especially vulnerable during the cold and flu season this year. He said that people have not been affected the last two years, especially children.

Torres added that instead of the normal pool of children that could be susceptible to it, that pool is essentially doubled now. Health experts have issued a warning, saying that the rise in cases of RSV, along with a strong flu season and a new surge of COVID cases, could become what they call a "tripledemic" in the United States in the next few months, according to KOLD.

For families to stay protected, doctors are urging parents to get their kids vaccinated for both COVID-19 and the flu. They also urge moms and dads to test regularly and to keep their children at home if the kids are feeling sick.

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