Children’s Wisconsin, the children’s hospital in Milwaukee, tells WISN 12 News respiratory syncytial virus cases have spiked 900% in the past five weeks. The increase in hospitalizations has led to the rescheduling of some surgeries and turning down some transfers from other hospitals. RSV is a common childhood illness, with virtually all kids getting it by age 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this year, it’s hitting young children earlier in the year, and seemingly all at once.”This virus, this is one of the scourges of pediatrics,” Dr. Michael Meyer said Thursday.Meyer is the medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Wisconsin.”We’re starting to see the kids becoming sicker when they show up, and they’re taking a little bit longer to turn around, they’re needing oxygen for a little longer time, we routinely have children with RSV who need to be in the intensive care unit, who need to be on the ventilator,” Meyer said.Hospitalizations at Children’s have risen 900% since late September, from an average of five cases to an average of 45. It’s meant they’re at times asking other hospitals to keep patients they might normally transfer to Children’s, and delaying some surgeries that can wait, prioritizing the patients who really need to be at Children’s. “We’re looking at this on a daily basis, and it’s not even daily anymore, this is hour by hour. Capacity is a very dynamic situation,” Meyer said. The hospital is urging parents to get their kids vaccinated as soon as possible. There is no vaccine yet for RSV, but there are vaccines for the flu, COVID-19 and a host of other childhood illnesses that can prevent or lessen the impact on kids. Meyer said any reduction in illness will also help reduce the impact on the hospital itself.
Children’s Wisconsin, the children’s hospital in Milwaukee, tells WISN 12 News respiratory syncytial virus cases have spiked 900% in the past five weeks.
The increase in hospitalizations has led to the rescheduling of some surgeries and turning down some transfers from other hospitals.
RSV is a common childhood illness, with virtually all kids getting it by age 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this year, it’s hitting young children earlier in the year, and seemingly all at once.
“This virus, this is one of the scourges of pediatrics,” Dr. Michael Meyer said Thursday.
Meyer is the medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Wisconsin.
“We’re starting to see the kids becoming sicker when they show up, and they’re taking a little bit longer to turn around, they’re needing oxygen for a little longer time, we routinely have children with RSV who need to be in the intensive care unit, who need to be on the ventilator,” Meyer said.
Hospitalizations at Children’s have risen 900% since late September, from an average of five cases to an average of 45.
It’s meant they’re at times asking other hospitals to keep patients they might normally transfer to Children’s, and delaying some surgeries that can wait, prioritizing the patients who really need to be at Children’s.
“We’re looking at this on a daily basis, and it’s not even daily anymore, this is hour by hour. Capacity is a very dynamic situation,” Meyer said.
The hospital is urging parents to get their kids vaccinated as soon as possible.
There is no vaccine yet for RSV, but there are vaccines for the flu, COVID-19 and a host of other childhood illnesses that can prevent or lessen the impact on kids.
Meyer said any reduction in illness will also help reduce the impact on the hospital itself.
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