After Montreal and Quebec, it is the turn of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean to be hit by an increase in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), so that pediatric emergencies are overflowing at the Chicoutimi hospital.
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The effects of the virus are also beginning to be felt in Roberval.
A lot of virus is circulating right now, which is causing more children and infants to get sick. The normal capacity has then been exceeded in pediatric emergencies and the “peak” has not yet been reached.
“We are really overcapacity at the hospital right now. As far as Lac-Saint-Jean is concerned, it is much more the Roberval portion where we see that there are more hospitalizations,” noted Dr. Jean-Benoît Bouchard, head of the pediatrics department at the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
Three infants had to be transferred to Alma in the past few days. In Chicoutimi, the 14 pediatric rooms are full.
“So we put two patients per room and this week we went up to 20 patients. Roberval, they are currently seven patients out of nine beds already occupied. There are two who are currently hospitalized who have COVID and RSV. It’s as if we had a nice broth of viruses walking around in the population which means that we have an increase in attendance, ”he explained.
Doctors now fear that influenza is getting involved, which is why an overcapacity plan has been put in place. All trade shifts are asked to lend a hand and staff have been trained accordingly.
“Whether it is pediatricians, emergency physicians, nurses. There are respiratory therapists and physiotherapists who come to lend a hand. If we need to increase even more, we have really found places in the hospital that might allow us to increase capacity even more,” mentioned Dr. Bouchard.
In the absence of pediatric intensive care in the regions, transfers might be made to major centers if the needs are greater.
“We know that they have increased their capacity and if the child exceeds the limits of care that we are able to provide here in the region, they will always be ready to welcome babies. We must not think that everything is jumping, ”he reassured.
The doctor also advises parents of newborns to avoid being in the presence of sick people.
If you have a young baby at home and an older one going to daycare, in the best of all worlds, keeping it home for the next few weeks might help you avoid ending up with this virus in the nest. family.
