As “triple-demic” fears grow, New York City in serious need of PICU nurses

By Jessica Moore

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Hospitals across the Tri-State Area are starting to feel the strain of the so called “triple-demic,” fueled by an extreme spike in cases of RSV among children.

CBS2’s Jessica Moore spoke Wednesday with an ER nurse who has seen the impact of the virus firsthand.

“Three months old coming in, congestion, the color is off, the lips aren’t as bright as they should be. The patient isn’t eating, isn’t drinking,” Karen Fountain said.

Fountain has treated more than 100 children with RSV. Now, she faces the daunting task of placing nurses at hospitals across New York City.

“They need more pediatric nurses, especially PICU nurses which take the higher acuity, which we’re seeing from RSV … There’s a 100 percent increase in the need for pediatric nurses in last month alone, and we haven’t even hit flu season yet,” Fountain said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 7,300 RSV cases the week of Oct. 15, more than double from a month earlier and the most seen in two years.

The Department of Health and Human Services reports three-fourth of the nation’s pediatric hospital beds are filled, marking a two-year high.

Making matters worse is the triple-demic, caused by rising cases of RSV, flu and COVID.

Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, a professor of health policy and management at the City University of New York, says viruses like RSV were mostly avoided for the past two years because of strict COVID precautions, many of which are now gone.

“Can having the flu or COVID trigger RSV, or is that a misconception?” Moore asked.

“Well, there are situations where you can be infected by multiple pathogens at once. The challenge is when your immune system is busy fighting one pathogen, it’s less able to fight against another one,” Lee said.

Experts say parents should get children vaccinated against flu and COVID, make sure they wash hands frequently and thoroughly, and avoid people who are sick.

While parents should remain vigilant, Dr. Lee stresses that not every cold is RSV.

“Even amongst young children, you’re taking about 1 or 2 out of 100 people who get infected that might require hospitalization,” Lee said.

“Do you foresee a time where we revert back to early days of COVID, when hospitals were at max capacity but this time we’re talking about children’s hospitals?” Moore asked.

“That is a concern and we’re already hearing reports of hospitals reaching close to capacity, so it could very well happen, yes,” Lee said.

Doctors say if in doubt, take your child to the emergency room, where most are treated and released in a few days.

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