Ohio health officials are urging families to stay vigilant against respiratory illnesses this winter as hospitals scramble to keep up with a surge in children who are already getting sick.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, said Tuesday that Ohio and the rest of the country are seeing an early uptick in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, a virus that usually causes cold-like symptoms. That, coupled with flu hospitalizations and lingering COVID-19 infections, presents an unprecedented “triple threat” that Vanderhoff and other health officials are sounding the alarm over.
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“All three viruses can and do cause more serious illness, landing people of all ages in the hospital, and sadly, causing deaths,” Vanderhoff said. “Never before have we had to contend, as it appears we will this winter, with all three of these viruses driving illnesses at one time.”
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The Ohio Department of Health doesn’t track respiratory syncytial virus cases because it’s not one of the “reportable diseases” outlined in state statute. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that Ohio has seen an increase in positive respiratory syncytial virus tests in recent weeks. While the virus is relatively common, health officials say it usually emerges after Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, leaders of children’s hospitals across the state say their emergency rooms and intensive care units are overrun by patients.
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“Our staff are tired,” said Dr. Claudia Hoyen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist for University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s in Cleveland. “It’s been a long three years. We need to do what we can as residents in Ohio to protect our health care system here in Ohio so that if somebody’s in a car accident, if somebody develops cancer, we have room in our hospitals to take care of those patients.”
At the same time, health officials reported rising hospitalizations associated with the flu. In the first week of November, 171 people were hospitalized for influenza, according to Ohio Department of Health data.
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Health officials urged Ohioans to get the flu vaccine and COVID-19 boosters to combat serious illness and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. There is no vaccine for RSV.
Babies, young children, and older adults with chronic medical conditions are at the greatest risk of serious illness from the virus. Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, said infants under 6 months old should be watched closely for changes in their energy levels or appetite. If babies are breathing abnormally, Manning said, families should seek emergency medical care.
If a child has symptoms of any respiratory illness, such as a runny nose or fever, families are encouraged to keep them home from school or day care to prevent other children from getting sick. Health officials also recommended that people wash their hands and wear masks when needed to curb transmission.
“COVID taught us so much about the benefits of a very simple, cheap, effective intervention when you’ve got respiratory symptoms,” Manning-Courtney said.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
