LAS VEGAS, Nev. (702 Times, NV Globe) – An ICU physician and the medical director of UMC Children’s Hospital urge parents to exercise caution rather than panic as RSV and other respiratory infections sweeping this winter are severely affecting our youngest population.

Dr. Meena Vohra said the last month has been ‘crazy.’

“We’re going crazy, it’s very busy we can barely keep a bed open before the next one comes in. So it’s a constant turnaround,” Dr. Vohra said.

RSV has been around for a long time, but according to Dr. Vohra, the younger you are, the harder it hits because your immunity hasn’t developed.

“No masks and people are again getting together again for holidays and things like that they are getting infected very rapidly and they don’t have that immunity which they normally would have developed when they were little,” Dr. Vohra said.

The Nevada Hospital Association said on Wednesday that an increase in RSV infections has resulted in a lack of hospital cribs and pediatric beds. Dr. Vohra stated that their hospital does not have a shortage of actual beds, only of space.

“We’re able to handle what we have, we do overflow sometimes when needed out of the pediatric unit you know we’ll have the older children go to a different floor. But out of yet we’ve been able to accommodate pretty well,” Dr. Vohra said.

She stated that oxygen is the first line of treatment and that there is no shortage of it.

“They start with oxygen needs you know if they can’t feed we give them IV fluids if their respiratory distress becomes worse then they may end up on a ventilator you know pretty much life support to do the breathing for them if they’re not able to breathe on their own,” Dr. Vohra said.

According to Dr. Vohra, the virus can be fatal to babies aged one year or younger.

“I’m also an ICU physician so the ones I see in the ICU are generally the younger population you know less than three years of age, those are the ones that are really hit hard,” Dr. Vohra said.

This Christmas season, she advises parents not to panic if their children become ill.

“I just want the parents not to start panicking you know. Every cough or sniffle they don’t have to run to the hospital. If you hug your little kids and you’re coming from outside make sure you change your clothes, wash your hands if you have a cold or a cough stay away from the little ones, especially the younger babies,” Dr. Vohra said.

Dr. Vohra stated that they are currently attempting to isolate patients further and limit the number of visitors in order to prevent further spread.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas

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