Overlook Medical Center Sees Surge In RSV Cases

SUMMIT, NJ — Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is surging across the country, and Summit's Overlook Medical Center has seen a major increase in respiratory-related infections over the last few weeks.

Atlantic Health System, which includes Overlook, Morristown Medical Center and many others, is reporting an influx of patients with RSV at its pediatricians' offices and hospital emergency departments.

RSV is a fairly common illness that can cause breathing difficulties in young children. According to the CDC, people infected with RSV usually show symptoms within four to six days after getting infected.

These symptoms usually include runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing. RSV poses the biggest threat to infants, older adults and people with suppressed immune systems, and can cause serious airway and lung infections, according to the CDC.

Health officials are warning of a possible "tridemic" or "tripledemic" if the RSV peak coincides with seasonal peaks in influenza and COVID-19. The three illnesses have similar symptoms.

Read more: 'Tripledemic' Warning As Respiratory Illness Cases Rise In NJ

There are currently no inoculations against RSV, as there are for both the flu and COVID, but a couple of pharmaceutical companies are working to develop vaccines.

Nationally, some 7,945 RSV tests came back positive for the week ending Nov. 5, which is down from 12,905 the week before, according to CDC data.

New Jersey alone has averaged 143 new cases — based on positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests — in the past five weeks. And federal health officials expect that figure to rise.

Atlantic Health System said it has placed a number of educational resources on its website atlantichealth.org and is working with partners in the media and local schools to share information.

The hospital system is hosting a "Community Conversation" with Dr. Christina Gagliardo — a physician with the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Goryeb Children's Hospital — to discuss the symptoms of RSV and when parents should bring their child to the doctor.

This conversation will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday on Facebook Live.

"While these increased volumes place an added strain on the entire health care system, Atlantic Health remains ready and able to continue delivering high-quality care for our patients and their families," Atlantic Health stated.

The CDC states that most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two and that there is no specific treatment for RSV infection.

You can learn about ways to alleviate RSV symptoms on the CDC website.

This article contains contributed reporting by Patch editor Josh Bakan.