RSV, also known as Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is highly contagious. It impacts the young and elderly particularly hard. It starts out like a cold: runny nose, cough and congestion. The youngest of the young, less than one year of age are most at-risk. They can struggle to breath.
As of Tuesday, 51 patients have been admitted to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital with Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV; 20 are in the Intensive Care Unit and 31 on the floors. All told, that’s about 1/3 of all admitted patients.
Dr. Hossain Marandi is President of Helen DeVos Children’s’ Hospital. He describes the surge in RSV cases as ‘unprecedented.’ He says multiple patients are on ventilators triggering a request with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for an additional 48 ICU beds. Once approved, that would bring the total to 117 in the Intensive Care Unit.
“The request was for additional ICU beds because we do feel that we want to be as prepared as we can be for the future. We don’t know what the future’s going to bring. We don’t know what’s going to happen with RSV itself or with flu as it comes or any other virus that we might see as the seasons change. So, we want to make sure that we’re fully capable of taking care of those kids.”
Dr. Marandi says the hospital has extended the ICU flexing the current number of hospital beds. That includes in-patient spaces. It’s also redistributing its pediatric staff from other areas.
