The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council reported on Friday that there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory illnesses. This surge has resulted in almost all pediatric beds in area hospitals being occupied. According to the hospital group, over 97% of pediatric beds in the North Texas region are currently filled, and medical centers are treating numerous patients each day who are experiencing difficulty breathing, fevers, and other symptoms.
Cook Children's in Fort Worth is currently operating at full capacity due to the influx of children with RSV and other respiratory illnesses flooding emergency departments and urgent care centers. On Monday, five intensive care unit patients had to be held in the emergency department while waiting for beds to become available.
Last week, more than 200 children tested positive for RSV at the Fort Worth medical center within the hospital system. The emergency department is currently treating approximately 500 patients per day, leading to overcrowded waiting rooms and long wait times.
Children's Health in Dallas, which is located nearby, reported a systemwide total of 382 RSV cases during the week starting on October 29. This is the highest number of cases the hospital system has seen this year, representing a 31% increase from the previous week's count of 291 cases, and a more than 134% increase from the 163 cases reported during the week starting on October 8.
Dr. Amy Richardson, the assistant medical director of Cook Children's urgent care centers, stated that the increase in respiratory viruses is occurring earlier than expected, even though it is still fall. She anticipates that this problem will worsen as the winter months progress, rather than improving.
While an RSV infection typically resembles a common cold and is not usually life-threatening for most children and adults, it can lead to complications such as inflammation or blockage of the lungs' small airways in certain groups, including infants and older adults.
Last year, RSV and flu cases peaked unusually early as children faced their first respiratory virus season without COVID-era protections like masking and other preventive measures.
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