Children's ER Visits Soar Due To RSV; Busiest In 10 Years: Hospital

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — A spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is sending children to the hospital in record numbers across the country, and Long Island is no exception. Northwell Health estimated that they are seeing emergency room visits and admissions at rates 50 percent higher than normal.

At a news conference at Cohen's Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park Tuesday, Dr. Matthew Harris, a pediatric emergency room doctor and medical director of crisis management, spoke about the recent surge in visits.

“These last two weeks in our emergency department have been the busiest we’ve seen in the past 10 years. Our ED was up nearly 50 percent, our admissions were up 49 percent, and our treat-and-release numbers were up over 50 percent."

RSV is typically severe in young children two years old and under. It causes respiratory symptoms, and sometimes in babies and young children it can lead to respiratory distress, dehydration and bronchiolitis.

Northwell Health advises parents to watch out for three main signs of severe RSV illness:

• The child isn’t breathing comfortably or is showing signs of increased effort in breathing (such as fast breathing, pausing in breathing, grunting with breathing, or using belly muscles to help them breathe)
• The child is unable to tolerate feeding
• The child appears lethargic or excessively tired.

“Most of our RSV patients are under the age of 2,” Harris said.

“It’s safe to say that by the time a child has reached the age of 2, they will have already been infected with RSV. Often, we’re asked about the right time to come to the emergency room. We’re asking parents to be on the lookout for certain changes in their children, such as not eating or drinking, not having a wet diaper in several hours, and having a fever that doesn’t respond to Tylenol. When this happens, or if the child is affected by other respiratory illnesses, it’s a good idea to bring her in."

If the child's symptoms are less severe, he advises, parents can start by calling their pediatrician.

RSV has been on the rise nationally since September. Some experts are ascribing the increase to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have reduced children's exposures and immunity for the last two years.

Children hospitalized with RSV receive supportive care like hydration and supplemental oxygen, Northwell says.

Harris told Patch that the rates have been flattening in the last couple of weeks, but that the peak could still be yet to come. Northwell is preparing for even higher demand, he said, adding 75 new beds. ICU capacity and staffing challenges remain concerns for the hospital, he added.

"This virus is so ubiquitous," Harris said, "that there aren't a lot of ways to minimize risk," but parents of children under age 2, and premature babies especially, should take extra precaution. Parents in general should remain vigilant for signs children need to go to the hospital, he stressed.