What parents should know about RSV and the threat of a tridemic - MLive.com

Children's hospitals and emergency rooms throughout the state are seeing a surge in a respiratory illness with potentially serious consequences for young children.

Respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, typically shows as a mild, cold-like illness for adults and older children. However, it can cause more severe illness in young children and elderly individuals.

In recent weeks, the virus has been responsible for longer wait times at emergency rooms, and greater numbers of patients at Michigan's pediatric hospitals.

Here's what you should know:

What is RSV

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be particularly serious for infants and older adults. It's the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year old in the United States.

Symptoms may include runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and/or wheezing. In very young infants, the only symptoms can be irritability, decreased activity and breathing difficulties.

Most infections go away within a week or two. There is no specific treatment for the viral illness, but symptoms can be managed with over-the-counter fever and pain reducers, and sufficient hydration.

RSV typically leads to about 58,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 deaths a year in the U.S. for kids younger than 5. So far this year, Michigan has reported at least one death involving RSV.

When to seek medical attention

Most children will have had an RSV infection prior to their second birthday, according to the CDC. Many will recover on their own without medical care.

Dr. Erica Michiels, a pediatrics doctor at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, said parents should take their sick child to the emergency room if they appear to struggle breathing, if their belly moves hard with every breath, and if they are looking blue.

She recommends making sure sick children are eating and drinking enough, and contacting your primary care physician if you're concerned about more mild symptoms like a fever, ear infection, or couch.

How bad is Michigan's surge?

The state health department does not track case data for RSV, but the CDC does report weekly testing data.

In late October, Michigan was administered more than 1,000 PCR tests for RSV, with about 21.7% coming back positive for the virus. That's a significant jump from less than 6% at the start of the month, and it's a greater test positivity rate than last year's seasonal peak (17.3%).

For comparison, the latest national average was about 17%.

At Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, the average children seen per day in the emergency room has jumped from about 145 to 225. As of earlier this week, there were 60 child inpatients with RSV -- up from 15 two weeks ago.

"We're already seeing across the country that RSV is wreaking havoc, especially amongst our pediatric population," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive. "Our data shows there is an uptick in cases being reported to the CDC across the country and in Michigan. When we talk to our colleagues working in children's hospitals, they're seeing lots of cases."

Expect health care delays

Parents who do bring their children to the emergency room should expect delays. Hospitals will prioritize the most severe cases, not necessarily in the order they came in, and physicians have reported increased wait times.

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has had to double-up patient rooms in some areas of the hospital, and may examine some patients on beds or chairs stationed in a hallway during busier times.

Dr. Michiels said she and her colleagues are seeing a "massive uptick" in pediatric visits, but assured residents that they're accustomed to dealing with surges -- care might just take longer to receive.

Will there be a tri-demic?

Health officials are again warning residents to take precautions to avoid getting and spreading viral infections in the coming months, in an effort to prevent health systems from being overwhelmed.

The state hasn't yet seen a major uptick in influenza infections, but signs point to a potentially more significant flu season than in recent memory.

Similarly, Michigan's COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remain steady. The state is reporting about 1,138 cases per day over the last week, though that's likely an undercount due to more at-home testing. Michigan's hospitals were caring for about 1,150 adult and 40 pediatric COVID patients as of earlier this week.

However, health systems remain concerned about the strain that parallel surges of RSV, influenza and coronavirus could have on their ability to provide patient care.

Prevention

Strategies to prevent transmission of RSV are similar to those implemented to lower risk of COVID-19 and the flu. They include:

• Get vaccinated/boosted for influenza and COVID-19
• Stay home if sick, even when testing negative for COVID-19
• Wear a mask if sick and being around others is unavoidable
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils with others
• Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands

Read more on MLive:

81 of 83 Michigan counties favor abortion rights more today vs. 1972

Rent, gas, food: 4 takeaways from inflation easing to 7.7% in October

5 long-term impacts Proposals 1, 2 could have on Michigan

2 Michigan counties report first monkeypox infections