NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Across the nation, flu cases are rising. States in the southeast region are seeing the influx of cases. Hampton Roads is not yet feeling the full impact of the flu, but the area is seeing elevated levels of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, or RSV.
Digital Host Sarah Goode spoke to Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Laura Sass from Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, or CHKD, about the latest winter respiratory illness updates. Watch the full conversation in the video player below.
Sass said it is busy at CHKD. Right now, RSV makes up about half of their inpatient cases.
“We have been seeing a lot of RSV, including in patients that need to be admitted to the hospital,” Sass said.
In mild cases, people will experience cold-like symptoms. In more severe cases, RSV can cause difficulty breathing and require hospitalization. The groups that more frequently experience severe cases include the elderly, immunocompromised and infants.
For infants, Sass said RSV can cause fast, noisy and difficulty breathing. It can also cause them to wheeze.
“That is why it makes it so much more dangerous in those children less than 2-3 months old compared to a 3 or 4 year old who may just have a runny nose,” said Sass.
Immunizations for RSV exist for those pregnant, over 60 and for infants. The one directed toward infants is not readily available, and is experiencing a shortage.
“Here at CHKD, in the main hospital, we have prioritized our doses, we did receive, for our most vulnerable patients, such as those leaving our neonatal intensive care unit,” said Sass.
She said they may see an additional supply in January 2024, but it all depends on production.
The case load they are seeing is about what they expect for this time of year.
“Not any more than usual, and we are prepared at CHKD to kind of handle those surges,” said Sass.
While the flu is not yet impacting the hospital, Sass said it will come. A rise is expected after the holidays.
For those that have not already been immunized against the flu, COVID-19 or RSV it is not too late. She said it takes about two weeks to take full effect, so this is the time to take it before the holidays.
She reminds people that the immunizations protect against serious complications, and possible hospitalization.
Sass shared some of the best practices for staying healthy, below:
- Wear a mask. It helps reduce your risk.
- Get your immunizations.
- Stay home if your sick.
- Be careful around vulnerable groups.
- Wash your hands, or keep an alcohol-based cleanser around.
Take a look at these CHKD resources, below:
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
