RSV cases continue to rise as Minnesota health officials confirm virus-related deaths
State health officials have confirmed one RSV-related death in Minnesota this season.
The Minnesota Department of Health did not release other details about the deaths, but medical experts say people need to be careful about this virus, especially among children.
Dr. Liz Placzek, an internist at Children’s Hospital of Minnesota, told 5EYEWITNESS NEWS that she has seen about 20 children infected with RSV come into her clinic this week alone.
“The kids look really sick and really miserable,” Placzek said.
RELATED: MDH reports surge in hospitalizations due to influenza and RSV
RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus, which attacks the lungs and airways. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, and nasal congestion, and the number of patients becoming seriously ill is increasing.
MDH data shows spike in RSV hospitalizations Minnesota has seen its highest hospitalization rate for children under 4 in recent weeks.
“This is the number one cause of hospitalization in children under 1 year of age, especially children under 3 months of age,” Placzek said.
The start of this year’s surge falls right between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so the situation could get even worse right before holiday gatherings.
“It’s not the best timing, but there are things we can control,” Placzek said.
This year, for the first time in history, the RSV vaccine is available for pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Monoclonal antibody injections are also available for infants and can be given within the first week of life. But they are in short supply.
Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company that produces monoclonal vaccines, admitted in a statement Demand was “higher than expected,” he said.
MDH officials said about 5,000 RSV vaccinations have been administered to children in Minnesota so far. Because this vaccine is difficult to obtain, MDH recommends that pregnant mothers receive other, more readily available vaccines.