Corewell Health is limiting visitors to the pediatric units of its hospitals in Royal Oak, Dearborn, and Troy amid rising hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses, officials announced Wednesday morning.
The decision comes nearly two weeks after the health system announced similar restrictions at its Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids. All patients aged 21 and under will only be allowed two visitors during the day and one overnight.
While this winter's surge in respiratory illnesses is typical compared to pre-pandemic seasons, the restrictions are standard given the high number of pediatric admissions and a general increase in respiratory illnesses throughout the community, officials said.
"At Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, we're seeing what is a pretty typical respiratory season compared to the pre-pandemic years — it does not feel as bad of a surge as last year where we had multiple different viruses all hitting us at the same time," said Andrea Hadley, Division Chief of Pediatric Acute Care. "We do this every year, we can take care of... any patients that come our way."
An unprecedented surge in pediatric cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) last winter threatened to overwhelm several Michigan hospitals, coinciding with flu season and a seasonal uptick in COVID-19. RSV is a common respiratory infection that causes cold-like symptoms but can be severe and even life-threatening in young children and older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It is just a kind of a typical respiratory season for us and so we are busy — there will be longer waits than expected at our various emergency and urgent care locations," said Evelyn Laskowski, Division Chief of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Corewell Health's Royal Oak Hospital, during a virtual press conference. "It does not feel anywhere near the unprecedented surge we had especially in November of 2022. This feels very much like a typical year that we are well prepared to handle."
Limiting visitors has been the hospital's standard procedure for years, including before the COVID-19 pandemic, during respiratory months, Laskowski added.
RSV, COVID on the rise
Increasing levels of respiratory illnesses are driving more emergency department visits and more hospitalizations at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Hadley said. The hospital currently has 23 patients with RSV, eight with COVID-19 and only a couple with influenza throughout all of Corewell Health West.
"There may be longer wait times as well as patients being cared for in nontraditional areas or what we have had to do is put two patients to one room to be able to accommodate," Hadley said.
Laskowski agreed that Corewell Health's pediatric units in southeast Michigan are also seeing an increase in RSV. COVID-19 and influenza cases are not as high yet, she added.
"We are seeing a lot of respiratory viruses, especially affecting our youngest patients, infants and young children, especially young toddlers," Laskowski said. "We do see older children and adolescents especially if they have a pre-existing respiratory problem such as asthma, but outside of that the vast majority of these patients are admitted are under two years old."
Healthy strategies
With the holidays fast approaching, Laskowski and Hadley encouraged people to take precautions.
"We always want to go back to basics washing hands staying home when you're sick, not going to crowded family gatherings, especially over the holidays if there is a vulnerable person or there's somebody actively ill with symptoms," Hadley said.
This winter, for the first time, vaccines are available for RSV, COVID-19 and the flu.
"New this year is RSV prevention that includes both vaccines available for patients 65 and older as well as pregnant women," Hadley said. "The most exciting prevention we have available now is a monoclonal antibody shot that is good that can be given to infants — all healthy infants as well as older babies that have underlying medical conditions such as prematurity, and heart disease."
Doses of the new pediatric RSV vaccine were in short supply in October due to manufacturing delays. Corewell Health ordered a robust supply at the beginning of the season, but has not received any additional doses since then, Hadley said.
A specific number of doses have been set aside for the highest-risk patients and will be available through the RSV season, Hadley said. The remainder of the doses will be equitably distributed to Corewell's primary care offices.
"Please contact your primary care provider as soon as possible to talk about how to get this monoclonal antibody shot," Hadley said. "The sooner we get it out there in the community, the better."
Parents should look out for signs that their child is having trouble breathing, not drinking or acting abnormally.
"If a parent is worried about their child's breathing, it is never the wrong thing to do to bring them in to be seen and to be evaluated," Laskowski said. "If you're worried about the way your child looks as they are breathing, please bring them in to be seen."
