Blank Children’s Hospital is running out of beds amid an unusual rise in hospitalizations of young children with respiratory illnesses. Dr. Joel Waddell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said hospital staff are working overtime to care for the unusual number of patients with RSV, flu and other respiratory illnesses. illnesses in hospital. Waddell said cases typically decline in the spring, as cold and flu season draws to a close, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed more illnesses occurring outside of “cold and flu season.” diseases “. He also said the types of patients with severe symptoms are unusual. Illnesses that typically only present seriously in babies or immunocompromised patients similarly affect healthy children ages 4, 5, and 6, contributing to the number of patients requiring hospital care. “This is a cohort of children who were isolated when the pandemic hit,” Waddell said. By quarantining during their formative years, Waddell worries that many of his young patients were not exposed to things that would have boosted their immune systems, leaving them more vulnerable to illness now. To protect your children, Waddell recommends making sure they are up to date on their vaccinations. If your child gets sick, keep them home if they have a fever and see a doctor if their fever increases or they have trouble breathing.” Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest headlines from KCCI
Blank Children’s Hospital is running out of beds amid an unusual increase in hospitalizations of young children with respiratory illnesses.
Dr. Joel Waddell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said hospital staff are working overtime to care for the unusual number of patients with RSV, flu and other respiratory illnesses at the hospital. Waddell said cases typically decline in the spring, as cold and flu season ends, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed more illnesses occurring outside of “illness season.” .
He also said the types of patients with severe symptoms are unusual. Illnesses that typically only present seriously in babies or immunocompromised patients similarly affect healthy children ages 4, 5, and 6, contributing to the number of patients requiring hospital care.
“This is a cohort of children who were isolated when the pandemic hit,” Waddell said.
By quarantining during their formative years, Waddell worries that many of his young patients may not have been exposed to things that would have boosted their immune systems, now making them more vulnerable to the disease.
To protect your children, Waddell recommends making sure they are up to date on their vaccinations. If your child gets sick, keep them home if they have a fever and see a doctor if their fever increases or they have trouble breathing.
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