Ky. children’s hospitals strained by swell of early RSV cases. What to know about virus

Aaron Mudd

A respiratory virus that isn’t COVID-19 or the flu is posing a “major” capacity challenge at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, where beds have been set up in hallways to keep up with dozens of admissions.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, usually manifests with symptoms like a runny nose, fever, coughing and wheezing, but most children fight it off like a cold.

“Where we see some kids need hospitalization is if they’re smaller, because their airways are smaller, [or] they have some kind of underlying medical condition,” said Dr. Lindsay Ragsdale, chief medical officer at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

Speaking in a recent interview with WKYT and WEKU Public Radio journalists, Ragsdale spoke of “enormous amounts of kids coming to children’s hospitals” across the country, including Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

“We are seeing, week over week, the number of RSV positives have been significantly increasing,” Ragsdale said in a recording of the interview provided by UK HealthCare.

In a follow-up email Wednesday to the Herald-Leader, Ragsdale elaborated on the capacity of the hospital.

“We are currently open and accepting patients. We have 16 Pediatric ICU beds and 90 Neonatal ICU beds. We are using surge beds as well to accommodate the increased needs,” Ragsdale stated.

Between 20 and 30 children positive for RSV have been admitted to the hospital every day, Ragsdale said. That represents a “significant” increase over a normal year, a separate hospital spokesperson told the Herald-Leader.

Similarly, Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville is also feeling the strain of RSV, the Courier Journal reported.

A spokesperson with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services said Wednesday RSV cases are not reported at the state level, instead referring to a RSV tracker from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC’s surveillance of national health trends also shows a massive spike in recent months in terms of percent positive and RSV detections.

“Here at [UK HealthCare], we started seeing positive RSVs in May, which is unheard of. Normally, it’s a January to March kind of illness,” Ragsdale told local media.

RSV itself isn’t a new virus. According to the CDC, most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. It 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 of age in the U.S., according to the CDC.

People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within four to six days after getting infected. Symptoms of RSV infection usually include:

  • Runny nose

  • Decrease in appetite

  • Coughing

  • Sneezing

  • Fever

  • Wheezing

The symptoms of RSV usually don’t appear all at once, but in stages, per the CDC. In very young infants with RSV, the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity and breathing difficulties.

Almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday, according to the CDC.

There is no treatment available for an RSV infection, though researchers are working to develop vaccines and antiviral drugs.

The CDC recommends treating the symptoms, since most infections resolve within a week or two.

If you think your child has RSV:

  • Manage fever and pain with over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Never give aspirin to children.

  • Drink enough fluids. It is important for people with RSV infection to drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration.

  • Talk to your health care provider before giving your child over-the-counter cold medicines. Some medicines contain ingredients that are harmful for children.

  • Call your health care professional if you or your child is having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids or experiencing worsening symptoms.

Do you have a question about health in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out out Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.

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