An unusually strong wave of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is prompting calls for a federal action plan as pediatric hospitalizations connected to the illness soar in New York and New Jersey -- with a complicated flu season still ahead.
RSV is a common cause of cold-like symptoms that most of us get as toddlers, but it can be serious for infants and for vulnerable elderly who may not have had it or somehow get it again. At Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens, 300 babies or kids are being admitted daily -- and doctors say the crush is pushing hospital bed capacity to the brink.
Locally, RSV rates are about 15% in New York and New Jersey and 10% in Connecticut. The trends are concerning enough that elected officials, health leaders and advocates alike are calling for more broad-based federal action.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, issued a preemptive call to action over the weekend, asking that the federal government step in to help if and when New York children's hospitals become overwhelmed by the RSV surge.
Snapshot: RSV Rates in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut
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Each year in the United States, the CDC says RSV leads to about:
- 2.1 million outpatient (non-hospitalization) visits among children younger than 5
- 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations among children younger than five
- 60,000 to 120,000 hospitalizations among adults 65 years and older
- 6,000 to 10,000 deaths among adults 65 and older
- 100 to 300 deaths in children younger than 5
Nationally, the numbers have held steady so far, but experts worry the dreaded flu season will compound problems.
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"Our fear is that while RSV is still very high that flu is coming up and again going to inundate the hospitals," explained Dr. Charles Schleien of Cohen's Medical Center, which has already added an annex to manage the RSV influx.
Meanwhile, 44 states reported high or very high flu activity last week, the CDC said Friday. The CDC estimates there have been at least 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from flu so far this season.
The deaths include at least 14 children.
