Doctors seeing early surge of RSV

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Doctors around the country are seeing a surge in RSV.

It’s a common respiratory virus that goes around every year.

Anyone can get RSV, but it hits children harder, especially those under two.

Doctors at Sanford and Avera say they’re seeing a spike in cases.

“We’re seeing a lot of cases in the community as well as in the hospital, both in the general pediatric floor as well as in the intensive care unit,” Sanford pediatric hospitalist Dr. Carl Galloway said.

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“We’ve got a number of kids that come into the clinic everyday with RSV. We have a number of kids in the hospital with RSV as well,” Avera pediatrician Dr. Kara Bruning said.

While an annual surge in RSV isn’t unusual, it’s happening sooner this year.

“It usually does not happen in October, but COVID has messed up the timing of our viruses, so it has come early this year,” Bruning said.

RSV usually surges in the winter months.

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Last year was another off year when it came in the summertime.

Volk: What do parents need to know right now?
Bruning: So if you’re concerned about your child, if he or she is running fevers, coughing, working hard to breathe, they need to be seen.

Families can take steps to help prevent the spread now such as washing hands and keeping kids home when they’re sick.

As RSV surges, Bruning is also reminding people to get their flu and COVID shots.

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