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RSV surge worsening after 6-year-old boy dies from respiratory illness
A Macomb County child died following a severe infection from a respiratory virus known as RSV or syncytial virus.
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - As concerns of a respiratory illness that is particularly threatening toward children grow, health officials report a 6-year-old boy from Macomb County has died from RSV.
The death was reported the same day the Oakland County Health Department asked anyone experiencing cold symptoms to limit their contact around children, especially those who are immunocompromised.
Kids under 4 represent the largest group of patients visiting hospitals due to respiratory syncytial virus infections, the medical director said Wednesday.
"RSV is affecting our youngest, more vulnerable residents," Oakland County Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust said. "We are concerned about RSV, flu and COVID-19 all being widespread as we move into the winter. Get your COVID and flu vaccines when eligible and wash your hands often."
RSV cases are peaking earlier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, surging in kids that are ending up in hospitals months before doctors expect it to.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild cold-like symptoms in most people that contract it. However, it can become a serious health concern for infants and older adults, causing health concerns like lung inflammation like bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
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Health workers see surge in patients with RSV since September
Officials at Corewell Health East say that since September, their emergency centers - including all eight hospitals and three outpatient campuses in Lenox, Livonia, and Canton - have seen a 777-percent increase in the number of patients testing positive for RSV.
The wave of respiratory infections may have sparked another problem: a shortage of medicine needed to treat bacterial infections. Amoxicillin, which is often prescribed to fight a number of ailments brought on by bacteria, helps treat upper respiratory and ear infections.
Matthew Navarre, the regional manager off retail pharmacy services with Trinity Health told FOX 2 a nationwide shortage of the drug has people scrambling for solutions.
"As the caregiver, as the parent, as the patient, ask that pharmacy to contact the prescriber and see if there is an alternative (medicine) they can prescribe, so they are not jumping through hoops trying to find a medication that they likely won't be able to find at another pharmacy, either."
MORE: Nationwide shortage of medicine to treat bacterial infections is hitting Metro Detroit, too
Right now the antibiotic is on backorder across the country and it may correlate with the increase of RSV cases. Amoxicillin doesn't fight the viral infection directly, but instead against the potential infections that come from a weakened immune system.
Nationwide shortage of medicine to treat bacterial infections is hitting Metro Detroit, too
Right now the antibiotic is on backorder across the country and it may correlate with the increase of RSV cases. To be clear, Amoxicillin is not prescribed to fight the viral infection RSV directly.
The scarcity of the drug may also be the result of a disrupted supply chain that continues ripple from the pandemic.
For those most at risk include, they include:
- Premature infants
- Children younger than 2 years old with chronic lung or heart conditions
- Children with weakened immune systems
The Oakland County Health Department is asking that anyone at risk of a severe RSV infection who has difficulty breathing or a high fever should seek medical attention immediately.