Overcrowded Pediatric ERs: Seek Care Only If 'Seriously Ill'

ILLINOIS — Pediatric emergency rooms across the state have seen a "serious increase" in children with respiratory syncytial virus and other winter illnesses, state officials warned Wednesday. While most people recover from RSV within a week or two, it is far more dangerous in children and older adults, and officials warned of overcrowded emergency departments ill-equipped for a surge of infections.

A common, cold-like virus that usually strikes in the winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia in children under 1.

The recent spike in pediatric ER visits comes on top of a surge in coronavirus cases, prompting state health officials to ask parents to call their doctors instead of flooding crowded emergency rooms.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady asked residents to "seek care at an emergency department [only] if their child is seriously ill."

According to the CDC, common symptoms of RSV include:

• Runny nose
• Decrease in appetite
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Wheezing

Most symptoms can be managed at home with over-the-counter pain and fever reducers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and parents should be sure to give their children enough fluids and not to give children medications like aspirin.

Symptoms that should prompt a trip to the nearest emergency room include a fever higher than 100.4 degrees, chest pain or trouble breathing.

"If you are not sure if your child is seriously ill," Arwady cautioned, "we want you to err on the side of seeking that emergency care."

"What this is not, is not a call to tell people to not seek medical care. What we are saying is that we want people to seek the appropriate level of care," Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike explained.

Officials at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago said that the medical facility has been at more than 85 percent capacity for months. That number is likely to go up this winter.

"Our children and our youth are our most precious resources, and protecting them includes ensuring that those critical specialized levels of health care delivery and service are available when needed," Ezike said.

She urged parents to get their children vaccinated if they are old enough. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is currently approved in children older than 12, and the drug manufacturer recently submitted data showing it is safe and effective in children as young as 5. Officials say it could be approved for use in that age group as soon as next month.

Nearly 57 percent of Illinois children between the ages of 12 and 17 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and almost 50 percent are fully vaccinated, the state's top doctor said.

"And I'm not letting the adults off the hook either," Ezike continued. "We know that the more adults get vaccinated, that also provides that protective cocoon to our young people, especially those that are too young to be vaccinated."

Officials also said they are worried a bad flu season could further overwhelm hospitals and sicken millions of Americans — on top of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and recent surge in pediatric illnesses. Ezike encouraged Illinoisans to continue wearing masks and to get a flu shot as well as a COVID vaccine.

"Because of the effectiveness of masking in preventing virus transmission, we saw fewer flu-related ICU hospital admissions in Illinois and no flu-related pediatric deaths,” Ezike said in a statement issued Tuesday. “However, with inconsistent mask usage, we could see a more severe flu season along with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now is the time to get your flu shot. Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time if you haven’t already gotten your COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are our best protection against severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths due to either flu or COVID-19.”

Everyone six months old of age and older should get a seasonal flu shot, health officials say.