Ottawa Children’s Hospital has high and near-record levels of flu admissions heading into the holiday season.
Aside from one month during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, November saw the highest number of flu hospitalizations at CHEO in a single month with 73 admissions. CEO Alex Munter says he usually has one or two in November.
According to a statement from the hospital, the difficult November coincided with its most admissions for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in a single month, with 149.
Wait times for hospital admission can now be as long as two days, Dr. Lindy Samson, CHEO’s chief of staff and chief medical officer, told Ottawa Morning on Tuesday.
The alarming figures come as parents say they are exhausted by the ongoing illness, all while trying to avoid turning to a healthcare system struggling to catch its breath.
“I’m kind of overwhelmed and scared because the last thing I want is to end up at CHEO,” said Kennedee Smith, whose three-year-old son Theo was sent home from daycare with flu-like symptoms Monday. Last week, the family suffered from a stomach problem.
With a lack of children’s medicine at home or on store shelves, Smith already visited the Arnprior emergency room for three hours to get some.
“There’s no medicine anywhere,” he said. “I’ve reached out to friends and family.”
Smith said his father is in Indianapolis and will be taking Children’s Medicine home with him.
The vaccine helps prevent hospitalization
Dr. Charles Hui, chief of infectious diseases, immunology and allergy at CHEO, said it’s critical that people get the flu shot, noting that this year is a good match.
“The flu vaccine will prevent someone from having serious complications, such as being hospitalized, related to the flu,” he said Monday.
Children as young as six months old can get the flu shot in both Ontario and Quebec.
Ottawa’s medical officer of health told CBC Radio’s All In A Day on Monday that while it’s important to connect with family and close friends during the holidays, people should do it in the most as safe as possible
“That means right now one of the key things we want people to know is that it’s still a good idea to get the flu shot,” said Dr. Vera Etches.
He urged people to stay home if they are sick and to wear a mask during their recovery.
Influenza numbers are increasing significantly and continue to increase.- Dr. Charles Hui, CHEO
Hui said that with RSV numbers starting to drop, there are still a large number of patients admitted to the ICU and other wards, many of whom have the flu.
The doctor noted that flu hospitalization rates for children under five and adults over 65 are the same.
Hui said December looks to be a lot like November, with 36 flu admissions so far.
“Influenza numbers are rising significantly and continuing to rise,” he said. “So a lot of tests that are positive and a lot of patients that are admitted to the hospital.”
CHEO has called on the Red Cross for staffing help, had to relocate staff to open a second intensive care unit and, like other children’s hospitals in the province, has sent older children to adult hospitals, all while delayed surgeries to cope.
“I’m kind of overwhelmed and scared because the last thing I want is to end up at CHEO,” Smith said. (CBC)
Smith’s son is sick at home with a fever, cough, congestion and lethargy and doesn’t want to go back to the hospital if those symptoms worsen, knowing the health care system is already overburdened.
But with the holidays right around the corner, Smith said it will be nearly impossible to see her family doctor on short notice.
“Will he be able to have a bed if he has to be admitted because there is a lack of beds right now? Will there be enough nurses on staff to take care of him?”
At a town hall Monday night, CHEO staff urged parents to continue taking their sick children to the hospital if they need emergency care. Examples include cases where a child has trouble breathing, staying hydrated, or is unusually lethargic even after taking fever-reducing medications such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).