25 children with RS virus were admitted to the children's and adolescent clinic at Haukeland Hospital. Three newborns are under a respirator.
- Now the clinic for children and adolescents is full. 25 children have been admitted with the RS virus and 5 are awaiting test results, says clinic director Ansgar Berg to Bergens Tidende .
Three patients are on ventilators and all are under a month old, says the director of the clinic.
Help from other departments
The clinic receives help from other departments of the hospital to cope with this difficult moment.
- The situation presents us with personnel challenges. We brought in employees from all over the region, including employees on research projects and employees on vacation. We are also postponing visits to clinics to aid the current crisis, says Berg.
In addition, there is cooperation with other hospitals in Helse Bergen.
The newspaper writes that 74 children with the RS virus ended up in various hospitals in the country.
Fighting the disease from the first symptoms
According to FHI, the RS virus causes respiratory infections in both children and adults. Some people may get a more serious respiratory infection. In young children, especially those under the age of one, the virus can lead to bronchitis, inflammation of the lower respiratory tract that can lead to breathing difficulties and hospitalization.
Haukeland Children's and Youth Counseling
Chief physician Margrethe Greve-Isdahl of the National Institute of Public Health says the situation is unusual. He says parents should react when a child is weak, has poor general condition and has difficulty breathing.
- Symptoms need not be accompanied by a fever. Lots of different viruses can cause similar symptoms, so the most important thing is to see your doctor when you're worried, he says.
Source: NTB
Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB
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Facts about the RS virus
A virus that infects the respiratory tract. In older children and adults, the infection manifests itself as a cold with a cough and a fever.
Especially u children under 1-2 years of age the disease may progress to a lower respiratory tract infection with rapid breathing, long-lasting wheezing, lethargy and fatigue, and problems with coughing up mucus. It can be difficult to distinguish the disease from asthma attacks.
Outbreaks occur each winter, at different times and to varying degrees.
Outbreaks usually last 2-3 months, usually from November to May. Epidemics seem to worsen in childhood. The virus is likely transmitted from older children, often siblings, who do not get sick themselves.
Data from the US showed that 1,7% of children under 6 months of age are hospitalized with the RS virus.
During the first year of life, 60–70 percent of all babies became infected with the RS virus, with a peak between 2 and 5 months of age.
The disease is the leading cause of infant mortality in developing countries.
The virus was identified in 1957.
Source: FHI
