A continuous wave of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has plagued pediatric hospitals across the United States, with some establishments reporting that they are filling up with patients.
In Ann Arbor, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, which is located roughly 44 miles west of Detroit, said that it has observed 259 children sick with RSV this season. The number represents a 46% jump from the same number seen around this time last year.
A Surge of RSV Infections
Hospital officials expressed their concern about the situation as a previous flu season and a potential new coronavirus wave could put more pressure on the healthcare system. The chief operating officer at Mott Children's Hospital, Luanne Thomas Ewald, said that they have been 100% full for six weeks now.
The official added that the fact that the hospital was already full raised concerns because they were only starting to see the flu in their emergency room. Ewald said that some reports told them that they would also observe an increase in COVID-19 among children during the current flu season, as per ABC News.
The situation that health officials have observed in Michigan is only the latest example of some hospitals in the country reporting that they have reached capacity due to a high number of RSV infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data that showed weekly RSV cases in the United States have risen from 5,872 in the week that ended on Oct. 1, to 8,597 in the week ending on Nov. 5.
According to the New York Daily News, the spread of RSV, which is a highly contagious respiratory virus, has caused visits to emergency departments for young children for respiratory issues at a higher level than at any point during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overwhelming Pediatric Units
Before, similar precautions used for the coronavirus, such as masking and social distancing, helped prevent the spread of the virus. However, with many precautions now lifted or removed, New York's youngest residents are starting to get sick.
RSV infections are landing record numbers of children under the age of five in the hospital and have overwhelmed pediatric units. The chief of the pediatric critical care unit at Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens, Dr. James Schneider, said that they were working with a much higher volume of patients than he has seen in his 15 years working at the hospital.
Schneider added that the number of patients would most likely lead to a lot of extra work for physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists. The medical expert said that they needed to find an alternative care space to provide the appropriate level of care for all of the children who will need hospitalization.
At Sparrow Hospital, officials were asking the community for assistance as the surge of RSV infections has placed their pediatric beds at full capacity. Health experts are urging the public to consider "appropriate sites of care" other than the emergency room.
The Interim Chief Medical Officer and Co-Director of University of Michigan Health at Sparrow Children's Center, Steve Martin, M.D., said that the greatest thing that parents can do to protect their children is frequent washing of hands, Wilx10 reported.
