Respiratory viruses spark wave of sick kids at Alberta Children's Hospital

Alberta Children's Hospital has added extra beds amid a surge of children sick with respiratory viruses, which doctors say has once again pushed the Calgary hospital over capacity.

Health officials say RSV is the main driver of this wave.

"It's been crazy. It's been busy. It's viral flu season," said Dr. Sidd Thakore, a pediatrician working at the hospital. "We're well over capacity."

He was asked to come in on his day off, on Monday, to help out. And he's been treating a lot of children with both RSV and influenza.

Infants under six months of age, premature babies and children under five who have underlying health conditions such as heart problems and asthma are at highest risk for serious illness with these viral infections, he said.

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"The fact that the emergency room is full, the inpatient units are full and the ICU (intensive care unit) is full, just shows that these kids are coming in in all degrees of severity.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) would not answer specific questions about capacity at Alberta Children's Hospital.

In a statement emailed to CBC News, a spokesperson said the hospital is seeing an increase in respiratory admissions, which "aligns with seasonal trends."

AHS said it has added 20 overcapacity beds and 17 surge beds during this respiratory virus season for a total of 178 beds.

"The number of open beds at any site or any unit fluctuates with demand throughout the year, and sometimes on a daily basis, to meet patient needs," AHS said in the statement.

The Peter Lougheed Centre is also treating sick children. Its normal contingent of 12 beds has been bumped up to 18.

"The most common virus remains RSV, with admission rates consistent with previous years. As expected during respiratory illness season, we are also seeing a rise in cases of bronchiolitis, asthma, pneumonia and croup," the statement said.

Dr. Cora Constantinescu, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, said nearly all children have had an RSV infection by the age of two.

And while many will have mild cold-like symptoms — including a runny nose, low fever, a cough and congestion — young children are particularly high risk for severe illness because their airways are so small and inflammation can make breathing difficult.

"Across Canada, around two per cent of RSV infections end up hospitalized, which is quite a significant number. And around 10 to 20 per cent of those end up in the ICU, which is another significant number."

Other infections

Constantinescu said she couldn't comment on bed numbers. In addition to RSV,  she's seen a recent spike in influenza A cases.

There are also other pathogens that aren't routinely tested for such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, or so-called "walking pneumonia," which has been surging in a number of jurisdictions.

"We're seeing what we're looking for and RSV is at the top right now," said Constantinescu, who is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary.

 "I think there are other things that play into this such as mycoplasma, such as group A strep, such as streptococcus pneumoniae.… I think it really is a combination of all these things all put together."

COVID-19 appeared to peak in October, she said. And while it's still around, cases have hit a plateau.

She's urging parents to protect their children by ensuring they get all available vaccines.

Respiratory virus data

According to provincial data, 367 Alberta children and teens have been hospitalized due to RSV so far this season. And there have been 39 intensive care unit admissions.

The vast majority of those hospitalized are young children under the age of five.

COVID-19 is responsible for 128 hospitalizations and 21 ICU admissions in those 19 years and younger. 

And there have been 37 hospitalizations for influenza with three children going to intensive care.

The provincial data is up to date as of Dec. 7. The tallies are expected to be updated Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, according to Thakore, staff at the children's hospital are taking on extra shifts to deal with the influx.

He's urging parents to be vigilant and to take their infant to the hospital if they see signs the baby is having trouble breathing

The symptoms include:

• Flaring nostrils.
• Sucking in at chest when breathing.
• Having trouble feeding.
• Having less than 4 wet diapers a day.

"If your child is sick, if they have those symptoms," he said, "then you need to bring them in to be assessed."

Constantinescu said parents can also consult the AHS website, HEAL, for information about illnesses and guidance on when to seek medical care.