Spike in serious childhood respiratory virus cases in Manitoba

Winnipeg's Children's Hospital is seeing a spike in the number of children being admitted to hospital with respiratory issues, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Officials are asking parents to avoid the emergency room if their children only have minor illness.

"We've had quite a few presentations to our emergency rooms and our pediatric intensive care all through the summer, including into the fall," Dr. Shawn Young, the chief operating officer of Health Sciences Centre, said in a news conference on Thursday.

"We are worried. The fall is typically when we see them more, so more preparation is being done to help support those kids in need."

Symptoms of RSV resemble those from colds and flu, such as coughing, runny nose, fever and loss of appetite. However, symptoms can worsen and affect the child's breathing.

Since July, there have been 43 RSV-related hospitalizations at HSC Children's Hospital, a spokesperson from Manitoba Shared Health said in an email.

There have been eight RSV-related hospitalizations in October to date, two of which required admission to the pediatric intensive care unit, the spokesperson said.

In addition, 183 children have come to Children's Hospital since July with acute bronchiolitis, which is caused by RSV in the vast majority of cases. There have been 31 of these cases so far in October.

Children's Hospital provides care for the most serious cases of RSV and for sick infants who are at higher risk, Shared Health says. Some milder cases in older infants who are stable and need less support can be seen and treated at other clinics and hospitals.

Shared Health is working on a public education campaign, including billboards and radio ads, to guide parents and guardians on where to go if their child is sick, as well as advice on when to visit an emergency department.

Young says 50 per cent of patients who present to HSC Children's can have their health care needs met in alternate environments, like a family doctor's office or urgent care centre.

"There's going to be more messaging about what those alternate environments can be to support our kids in need," he said.

Any time a child is having a hard time breathing or they are experiencing a frequent choking cough or wheezing when they breathe, Shared Health says it's important to seek medical attention.