LANSING, Mich. — Deanna Madewell doesn't wish her experience on any parent. Her 4-year-old son, Hunter, was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, last month.
“It was a wheeze and a light cough, and then, the light cough developed into a deep cough, and he couldn’t get anything up, and and he sounded like he was drowning in his chest,” Madewell said.
Hunter’s RSV eventually turned into Mycoplasma pneumonia, and even a month after his diagnosis, he’s still showing symptoms.
“Unfortunately, it’s not a medication to make RSV go away faster, it's just over-the-counter medicine and hydration,” said Dr. Steve Martin, co-director of University of Michigan Health at Sparrow Children’s Center.
Statewide, RSV cases among young patients are climbing at a concerning rate.
The University of Michigan Health at Sparrow Children’s Center said they’re now dealing with a bed shortage after seeing an average of 60 cases a day.
“At Sparrow, we’ve struggled to take patients in our, in patient pediatric unit, some of our patients have had to stay in our emergency room for hours,” Dr. Martin said.
With flu season lingering and COVID not going away, Sparrow is anticipating RSV cases could rise even more.
The hospital is urging parents to do things like washing hands and sanitizing objects to prevent more cases. While at home, Madewell is encouraging hope.
“My message for parents is to stay strong for your babies and get a lot of Vitamin C,” she said.
