Parents – be aware…..

About three-quarters of pediatric hospital beds are in use across the country, well above the average over the past few years. They’re more than 90% full in Rhode Island, Minnesota, Maine and Texas, as well as in Washington, DC, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The amount of RSV detected in wastewater trended upward in many parts of the United States between August and October 2022.

Takeaway:

Parents of children at high risk for developing severe RSV disease should help their child, when possible, do the following

Avoid close contact with sick people

Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

Avoid touching their face with unwashed hands

Limit the time they spend in child-care centers or other potentially contagious settings, especially during fall, winter, and spring. This may help prevent infection and spread of the virus during the RSV season