RSV, COVID-19, flu fuel surge in children's hospitalizations

ATLANTA - Respiratory viruses like flu, COVID-19 and RSV are sending more kids to the hospital around the nation. The season started early and hospitals expect to season even more cases now that we’re in the holiday season.

More than half of all states reported high or very high rates of respiratory illness. Pediatric hospitals reported more than three quarters of their centers and ICU beds have been occupied for the past few months.

Dr. Andi Shane, the division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Emory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, said their units were 60-percent full in recent weeks. But they were as high as 80-percent in September and October.

(FOX 5 Atlanta)

"The month of October was incredibly busy. "Then we had several weeks of very high volumes with flu and that’s in addition to other respiratory viruses that circulating as well," Dr. Shane said.

Kids with underlying health conditions are especially at risk. 

"These infections--flu, RSV and Covid--can be quite severe in children requiring hospitalizations, sometimes ventilation support in our pediatric intensive care units," Dr. Shane said.

Dr. Shane worries cases could spike as we go deeper into the holidays. 

"As children mix, and they spend more time with other people, it’s possible we could see surges in general," Dr. Shane said.

Dr. Shane says at least some of the spikes could have been avoided if parents had gotten their kids vaccinated for flu and COVID-19.

"These are vaccine-preventable infections. We have very effective and safe vaccines that while, they may not prevent the infections themselves, can certainly prevent hospitalizations," she said.

"That worries me a lot," said Simone Foreman, the mother of a four-year-old and a two-month-old. "A lot of people are sick and they don’t know it, and they’re still out. There’s only but so much you can do for a child when there sick. I try my best to keep them safe and do my best on my end."

Foreman says she now takes extra caution with her son.

"I wear and mask, and he normally wears a mask if we go in somewhere public. If my son is sick, I try to keep him away from other children and other people so that they don’t get sick."