MADISON, Wis. — Cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, continue surging through Wisconsin. The viral disease impacts the breathing of infants 18 months or younger.
Cases are four times higher in Madison than they were last year at this time and RSV hospitalizations account for 10% of patients at the American Family Children’s Hospital.
The same reigns true in Milwaukee.
“The number of inpatients we have currently with RSV, right now on a day-to-day basis is from 45-60 a day, it’s been really significantly elevated when we look at about a month ago, the beginning of October, those were about 11 kids a day, so we’ve seen a significant number that are hospitalized,” said Dr. Rainer G. Gedeit, Pediatric Critical Care Doctor at Children’s Milwaukee Hospital.
RSV case numbers are much higher than COVID cases at Milwaukee Children’s too.
Doctors say that most RSV patients can get better at home, recommending calling your primary care doctor first, and seeking emergency services when children struggle to breathe.
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