CHOP doctors talk about navigating 'sick season' and early RSV spike

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- From doctor's offices to emergency departments to hospitals, pediatricians are swamped with young children with respiratory viruses, especially RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

Dr. Ron Keren, chief medical officer at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says RSV started in April, not November as usual, and is now running at mid-winter levels.

"It's both the volume, in this case in this season, RSV, that we're seeing. But it's also about the severity of the disease we're seeing. We're seeing a lot more infants this fall with more severe disease," Dr. Keren says.

In Indianapolis, baby after baby are being admitted to hospitals, struggling to breathe.

"Day by day, it was just figuring out -- like it felt like he wasn't going to get better for a while, and every day he was getting worse," Victoria Reish said of her son Lucas.

SEE ALSO: Children's hospital in talks with FEMA to set up medical tent amid patient surge

Lucas' parents, Josiah and Victoria, noticed he was breathing fast and had what appeared to be catching by his lungs.

He spent days in the hospital with RSV, just being released on Monday.

"He was getting breathing treatments because of his wheezing. He was also getting some steroids to help with his wheezing as well," Josiah Reish said.

The Reish family works in the health field and says they knew what to look for.

Now, they want parents to keep an eye out for the signs of RSV, such as lethargy, fast breathing, and a lack of interest in eating or drinking.

Dr. Katie Lockwood, a CHOP primary care physician, says parents should make sure kids with respiratory viruses stay well hydrated.

"They can easily get dehydrated, and that is the main reason we've been admitting children," says Dr. Lockwood.

She says antibiotics don't work on viruses like RSV, so the emphasis is on supportive care.

Warm, humid air helps break up the mucus in the lungs during RSV, so time in the bathroom with a hot shower running in the background can help.

Dr. Lockwood also says keeping up to date with shots for vaccine-preventable illnesses like influenza will help keep your child healthy and less vulnerable to RSV.

Because RSV in adults and older children looks like a mild cold, they can unknowingly introduce it to infants and toddlers in the home.

Dr. Keren says little ones are vulnerable this year because they haven't been exposed to as many germs over the past few years.

Now that there are large gatherings, and much less social distancing and masking, their reduced immunity puts them at greater risk.

Both doctors emphasize hand-washing and avoiding big gatherings as major prevention measures.

They add that masking in public places can help too.

Doctors say big gatherings, plus less social distancing and masking, are driving the outbreak.

According to ABC News, at least 23 states are now struggling with early outbreaks and overloaded ERs.

For adults, influenza, particularly the more severe Influenza A, is spreading quickly.

Pennsylvania says that while numbers are still low, they're still the highest in five years for this time period.