GRAND RAPIDS CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are on the rise, according to health experts. The virus affects the tissue in lungs and can be dangerous for young children. Dr. Dan McGee, a pediatric hospitalist at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital said it's common to see RSV every year, but in 2019, cases are coming in earlier and faster than usual.
"I kind of lost count by now about how many cases. Yesterday I looked at my own list and one-third of the children that me and my colleagues had in the hospital had bronchiolitis," he said.
One of those cases was in 11-month-old Ethan Filiatreau.
For the Filiatreau family, it took days for their 11-month-old son Ethan to bounce back from his bout with RSV. Claire Filiatreau, Ethan's mother, said it all started last Thursday when she noticed Ethan was having trouble breathing.
"Ethan wasn’t breathing very well, and I realized he had shortness of breath. He was working really hard and he had lost a lot of his color," she said.
A couple hours later Ethan was rushed to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in an ambulance—a move Filiatreau said she's happy she made.
"If your child is acting differently than you would expect, get help. Don't feel bad calling an ambulance. Don't feel bad getting the treatment you need. Don't question yourself," she said.
McGee said that the hospital plans ahead every cold and flu season for these types of outbreaks and that they have had to take advantage of their overflow areas with the number of RSV cases this year.
Filiatreau said Ethan's condition escalated between the time she first noticed symptoms to her decision to call an ambulance. Doctors started Ethan off on nebulizers, then gave addition air support. The family said he remained sick and lethargic for three to four days but later saw a quick, positive turn.
"It seemed pretty much as quickly as he declined, he's coming back," Claire said.
RSV can be contracted similarly to the flu, by being in close proximity when someone coughs or sneezes. The Centers for Disease Control cites RSV as the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under the age of one in the U.S., and it spreads relatively easily.
"If you touch somebody that has it and rub your eye, you can get it that way too," McGee added, saying parents should also watch out for people trying to kiss or touch their baby.
"Don’t let everybody kiss your baby, because you don’t know how healthy that person doing the kissing is. You’ll be out to the store and everybody wants to see the baby. That’s fine. Look at the baby. Don’t touch the baby. Don’t kiss the baby," he said.
While anyone can contract RSV, young children are most at risk for developing serious symptoms. Dr. McGee said when adults contract RSV, it registers at the height of a common cold. However, when young children, primarily children that are born premature, it can heavily impact their ability to breathe.
"Things you have to look for is: 'Is he working hard to breathe? Is your baby not eating well because he’s having trouble breathing?' In that case you should call your physician," McGee explained.
He added that there is medication for children who are highly susceptible to RSV that could "possibly" help prevent it, but said it's expensive and is not often used by doctors. McGee recommends contacting a physician if a child shows any symptoms of RSV, so health workers can start treating them quickly.
Ethan and his family checked out of the hospital on Wednesday, marking nearly a week in the hospital. They say they want to spread awareness of how serious RSV can be and how important it is to trust your instincts.
"If they don’t look right, trust your gut. Because you better be safe than sorry," Jacob Filiatreau, Ethan's dad, said.
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