Child Dies From RSV In Oakland County As Virus Surges In MI: Officials

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — Health officials urged residents to protect themselves and their children from RSV after a 6-year-old child died Wednesday from the illness in Oakland County.

The Macomb County child was hospitalized at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, and died at 3:41 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office.

The Oakland County Health Division said it's seeing a sharp increase in RSV cases within the last month. Officials said children 4-years-old and younger are the largest group of patients visiting emergency rooms throughout southeast Michigan for the illness as well as other viruses.

"RSV is affecting our youngest, more vulnerable residents," Oakland County Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust said. "We are concerned about RSV, flu and COVID-19 all being widespread as we move into the winter. Get your COVID and flu vaccines when eligible and wash your hands often."

RSV cases are increasing early across the nation, as cases usually begin spiking in the winter, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State health officials warned RSV cases were rising in Michigan, particularly in southeast Michigan, prompting concerns about a possible "tridemic" or "tripledemic" if the RSV peak coincides with seasonal peaks in influenza and COVID-19. The three illnesses have similar symptoms.

The RSV illness usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be particularly serious for infants and older adults, health officials said. The illness is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year old in the United States.

To help prevent the spread of RSV and other viruses, the Health Division recommends the following best practices:

• 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

Health officials also warned people with cold-like symptoms should limit interaction with children that are at high risk for severe RSV disease, such as premature infants, children younger than 2 years old who have chronic lung or heart conditions, and children with weakened immune systems. If not possible, health officials advised to carefully follow the prevention steps.

Signs and symptoms of severe RSV infection in infants include:

• Short, shallow, and rapid breathing
• Struggling to breathe — chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath
• Cough
• Poor feeding
• Unusual tiredness
• Irritability

Seek immediate medical attention if a child or anyone at risk of severe RSV infection has difficulty breathing, a high fever, or a blue color to the skin, particularly on the lips and in the nail beds.