Record Surge In Pediatric Respiratory Hospitalizations Reported In OC

SANTA ANA, CA — Orange County health officials "strongly" encouraged residents to take precautions against respiratory illnesses on Saturday amid record numbers of pediatric hospitalizations.

Parents were urged to seek medical attention immediately if their child is showing troubling signs, which include having trouble breathing, showing signs of dehydration and has a persistent or especially high fever, according to a statement from the Orange County Health Care Agency.

"Orange County is seeing very high numbers respiratory illness, specifically Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) severely impacting capacity in our pediatric hospitals," said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, county health officer and HCA's Chief Medical Officer. “RSV can severely affect young infants and children and we are encouraging residents to take precautions, especially with groups of children."

"RSV can severely affect young infants and children and we are encouraging residents to take precautions, especially with groups of children," Chinsio-Kwong said.

The county offered the following tips for residents:

• Do not go to school or work when you are symptomatic.
• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick, and when you are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Mask when indoors or large group settings.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after eating and using the bathroom.
• Get your flu shot and COVID-19 vaccines to prevent complications from these viral illnesses.

The news comes as officials are warning of a potential "tripledemic" if a rise in respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, cases coincide with the seasonal peaks in influenza and COVID-19.

RSV, a fairly common illness that can cause breathing difficulties in young children, are uncharacteristically high in California for this time of year, straining capacity in local hospitals.Prevention methods used to ward off COVID-19 had kept influenza and RSV cases relatively low for the last two and a half years, experts have said. With masking mandates and other restrictions disappearing, this winter season could bring the flu and other respiratory viruses back with a vengeance, according to multiple reports.

“It’s like RSV took a two year sabbatical, was working out twice a day, meditating, eating well, and is now back and showing off,” tweeted Jessica Myers, a pediatric hospitalist in Palo Alto.

Another warning has come from Australia, which saw an astonishing winter peak of flu cases. Cases reached a height not seen since at least 2017, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Nationally, some 7,334 RSV tests came back positive for the week ending Oct. 15, up from 6,518 the prior week and 5,210 the week before that, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

READ MORE: RSV Cases Rise In CA: 5 Things To Know About ‘Tripledemic’ Threat