Rapidly Spreading Viral Infection Among Young Children Prompts US Officials To Issue Health Emergency

A sudden uptick of rapidly spreading viral infection (RSV) cases among young children has forced officials in Orange County to declare a health emergency.

In Michigan, a wave of RSV cases has taxed pediatric hospitals across the region where hundreds of children have been found to require hospital care. The situation comes amid an October wave of the infection, which causes the most serious illness in babies, people with compromised immune systems, and the elderly.

Rapidly Spreading Viral Infection

Because RSV cases are not required to be reported to public health departments, it makes them much more difficult to track. However, the chief medical executive for the state Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said that it was clear Michigan was experiencing an RSV surge.

She noted that their partners in pediatric hospitals reported seeing a lot of kids who were infected by the virus. Bagdasarian added that emergency departments were starting to get filled up and that pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) beds were nearing capacity, as per the Detroit Free Press.

In an interview, Bagdasarian noted that she was not saying the situation was already at a critical point or that ICUs were already over capacity. She would say that things were dire now but noted that it is something that health officials are keeping a close eye on.

Despite Michigan lacking a statewide tally, Corewell Health East, the new name for Beaumont Health, reports that it has seen a 567% increase in the number of patients hospitalized with RSV just in the last month.

According to CBS News, the situation has also forced Orange County officials to declare a health emergency due to the spread of RSV cases in the region. The order would allow the county to use state and federal resources to address the issue and get a better handle on the situation while getting mutual aid from other counties.

Public Health Emergency

The area was previously struck by a perfect storm of COVID-19, the flu, and the respiratory syncytial virus, which is especially threatening to young children. The chief medical officer of the OC Health Care Agency, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, said that while there was no vaccine for RSV, there are many ways to protect children and at0-risk individuals from the virus.

The medical expert also urged residents to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations to help reduce the strain on the county's hospitals. She added that the region's best shot at protecting its citizens and children from respiratory illnesses is practicing what has been recommended throughout the pandemic, including the use of masks and staying home when sick.

The rise in the number of cases of RSV also comes with an increase in adenovirus and rhinovirus infections. Furthermore, the spread is exacerbated with children coming back to school and families returning to many in-person activities and settings, more often without the mitigation measures that were applied during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, who is an emergency physician, noted that there are certain infections that can be treated at home using fluids, fever-reducing medicines, and rest. The medical expert noted that the determining factor of whether an individual needs hospital care is not what is causing it, but how the patient is doing, CNN reported.