Children’s Wisconsin, the children’s hospital in Milwaukee, told WISN 12 News that respiratory syncytial virus cases have increased 900% in the past five weeks. The increase in hospitalizations has led to the postponement of some surgeries and the refusal of some transfers from other hospitals. RSV is a common childhood disease, virtually all children are affected by the age of 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this year it hits young children earlier in the year, and seemingly all at once. “This virus is one of the scourges of pediatrics,” said Dr. Michael Meyer on Thursday. Unit at Children’s Wisconsin. “We’re starting to see kids getting sicker when they show up, and they take a bit longer to turn around, they need oxygen for a bit longer, we regularly have kids with RSV who has to be in the intensive care unit, which has to be on a ventilator,” Meyer said. Hospitalizations at Children’s have increased 900% since late September, from an average of five cases to an average of 45. Sometimes asks other hospitals from keeping patients they could normally transfer to the Children’s and delaying some surgeries that can wait, prioritizing patients who really need to be at the Children’s.” We review this daily , and it’s not even daily anymore, it’s hour by hour. Capacity is a very dynamic situation,” Meyer said. The hospital is asking parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible. There is no vaccine for RSV yet, but there are vaccines for the flu, COVID-19 and a host of other childhood illnesses that can prevent or lessen the impact on children. 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, told WISN 12 News that respiratory syncytial virus cases have increased 900% in the past five weeks.
The increase in hospitalizations has led to the postponement of some surgeries and the refusal of some transfers from other hospitals.
RSV is a common childhood disease, virtually all children are affected by the age of 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this year, it hits young children earlier in the year, and seemingly all at once.
“This virus is one of the scourges of pediatrics,” said Dr. Michael Meyer on Thursday.
Meyer is the medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Wisconsin.
“We’re starting to see kids getting sicker when they show up, and they take a bit longer to turn around, they need oxygen for a bit longer, we regularly have kids with RSV who have to being in the intensive care unit, who have to be on a ventilator,” Meyer said.
Hospitalizations at The Children’s have increased by 900% since the end of September, from an average of five cases to an average of 45.
This means that they sometimes ask other hospitals to keep patients they could normally transfer to Children’s and delay certain surgeries that can wait, prioritizing patients who really need to be at Children’s.
“We look at this daily, and it’s not even daily anymore, it’s hour by hour. Capacity is a very dynamic situation,” Meyer said.
The hospital asks parents to have their children vaccinated as soon as possible.
There is no vaccine for RSV yet, but there are vaccines for the flu, COVID-19, and a host of other childhood illnesses that can prevent or lessen the impact on children.
Meyer said any reduction in illness will also help reduce the impact on the hospital itself.