Midlands seeing rise in pediatric respiratory cases

South Carolina joins the number of states across the nation where hospitals are filling up due to respiratory infections spreading among children. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – South Carolina joins the number of states across the nation where hospitals are filling up due to respiratory infections spreading among children. 

RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial virus and the state is seeing an increase in cases among children as well as the flu and other respiratory viruses says Doctor Robin Lacroix with Prisma Health.

“With in Prisma Health we have a pediatric icu in Columbia and we have a pediatric icu in Greenville and those beds remain full and are almost full much of the time. What we have been able to do is open what we call surge beds meaning that we are able to expand our capacity and take care of critically ill children,” says Dr. Lacroix. 

Prisma health says no deaths reported from RSV in the Midlands or upstate but a number of patients have been placed on ventilators.

“Some of these respiratory viruses we are seeing are what we call secondary bacterial pneumonia associated with them and a lot of those are who we are seeing in the hospital that means that they have the respiratory viral infection whether it be RSV or influenza, they kind of get over that infection and then they may have a new fever or a new cough maybe a day or two later and that’s a bacterial pneumonia person can get,” says Dr. Anna Kathryn Burch. 

When it comes to the flu Doctor Lacroix says parents should get their child vaccinated.

“For RSV we don’t have good antivirals, we don’t have a vaccine and that’s where parents protecting their younger children by keeping them away from large crowds, really good handwashing, if someone is going to be around and if they have any sort of symptoms having a mask around those babies just to try to give them another ounce of protection because we are left with what we call supportive care which has been helping them breathe, supporting them with nutrition and fluids through their veins and letting their little immune systems fight this virus off,” says Dr. Lacroix.

Prisma Health officials say to protect your babies this Halloween while trick or treating by wearing a mask and staying in small groups.