The common respiratory virus that led to a recent spike in parents taking kids to local emergency rooms hasn’t let up, and things could soon get worse.
Doctors say Chicago, like the rest of the United States, could be in for a “tri-epidemic” of COVID-19, influenza and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.
That’s with a wait time for an evaluation in the ER at Lurie Children’s Hospital already as long as 10 hours, said Dr. Tina Tan, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor there. But the wait time varies from day to day, hospital officials added.
The longest wait times aren’t typically seen until midwinter, Tan said.
“It’s going to get worse as these respiratory viral illnesses continue to increase,” Tan said.
Tan said there haven’t been any fatal respiratory virus cases this season.
Allison Bartlett, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor at Comer Children’s Hospital, described the deluge of respiratory cases as the pediatric world’s “COVID moment.”
“The COVID crisis wasn’t as significant for pediatrics in terms of volume because kids just, mercifully, didn’t get as sick as our adults,” Bartlett said. “We’re in that same almost-crisis mode, but the community isn’t clapping for us every night at 7, and they are not doing everything they can to help prevent the spread of infections. We’re sort of on our own.”
The spike in ER visits, fueled mostly by RSV, started in late September. Influenza isn’t yet circulating at high levels in the Midwest, Tan said.
“If it’s anything like what Australia saw, it’s going to be a severe flu season,” Tan said.
A number of factors are at play, including a lack of immunity among children who, because of COVID-19 safety protocols, haven’t been exposed to some of the viruses circulating. And not enough people are up to date on their COVID-19 and flu vaccines. There is no vaccine for RSV, which has similar early symptoms of a common cold — runny nose, decreased activity and appetite. RSV sometimes leads to a wheezing cough and problems breathing.
“All of this has led to the increase in the amount of disease that’s being seen, and the problem is, the more these viruses are allowed to be transmitted and circulate, the more risk there is for these viruses to mutate — and that’s what we are now seeing with COVID,” Tan said.
Tan is urging parents to make sure their children are up to date with COVID-19 boosters and this season’s flu vaccine.
For those parents who are suffering from vaccine fatigue, Tan sounds a familiar warning: “Viruses don’t pick and choose. They infect whoever is there.”
A pediatrician is typically the best source to help decide whether your child needs a trip to the ER. Here are some of the symptoms that require immediate attention, according to doctors at Lurie:
—Newborns [under 2 months] with a fever of 100.4° F or higher
—Severe chest pain, trouble breathing, passing out or fainting, coughing up blood
—Severe asthma attacks
—Severe dehydration (child is lethargic, has dry lips or mouth, hasn’t urinated in four to six hours, vomiting, diarrhea)
