Surge In Pediatric RSV Cases Continues

PITTSBURGH — Pediatric hospitals across the country are filling up as cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are surging, which is leading to long wait times in the emergency room.Earlier Monday, the wait time at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh was longer than nine hours. Children’s Hospital tells our news partners at Channel 11 it’s seeing 20 to 30 cases of RSV per day, with average wait times between 3 and 4 hours. Dr. Raymond Pitetti, Director of Emergency Operations at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, says in 2019 they only saw 5 to 10 cases a day. He says they are evaluating each child to make sure anyone with critical needs is seen first. They haven’t opened any extra units yet, but it is in consideration. Pitetti says he believes RSV is hitting kids hard after years of masks protecting them while also preventing them from building immunity. If your child is in need of medical attention but it’s not critical, Pitetti encourages you go to an urgent care or your pediatrician, where the waits will be shorter, and leave Children’s care to kids in greater need.