ROYAL OAK, Mich. – 60,000 children are hospitalized with RSV every year and according to officials, there were more cases per week in October than any other week in 2020.
“The past few weeks have really been a challenge for all of us in pediatrics,” said Dr. Whitney Minnock, the Pediatric E.R. Director at Corewell Health Royal Oak. “We’re kind of wondering why is it so bad so early? And I don’t think anybody can really answer that question.”
Many of Michigan’s top doctors are urging parents to be vigilant.
“What we are hearing across the board is that pediatric hospital beds are full, pediatric ICUs are full, and pediatric emergency rooms are full,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s Chief Medical Executive.
Last week, a 6-year-old boy from Macomb County died after contracting RSV. The most vulnerable are babies, toddlers, senior citizens, and people with compromised immune systems
“We’re seeing kids that aren’t so sick and kids that are really sick and it’s tough to you know, really say who’s going to be the sickest with this,” said Dr. Minnock.
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