Orange County has declared a health emergency over what officials call a rapidly spreading viral infection that has led to a record number of pediatric hospitalizations.
Daily emergency room visits have also increased in the county, the OC Healthcare Agency said Monday.There is no vaccine for RSV, the common respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms, but the county has We want people to be up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.
“Following preventive measures such as keeping up-to-date on flu and other vaccinations such as COVID-19 can reduce the severity of the disease and reduce the burden on hospitals this fall and winter. said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong of the county. “The best way to protect ourselves and our children from respiratory illness is to wear a mask when indoors and with others,” the health officer and HCA’s chief medical officer said in a statement. And staying home when sick is something we’ve been doing throughout the pandemic.”
Additionally, a local emergency declaration has been declared, allowing Orange County to access state and federal resources to combat the spread.
Health officials have warned parents to look out for symptoms such as rapid breathing, lightheadedness, blue lips and children pulling on their ribcages. They also say parents and caregivers should keep young children with respiratory illnesses out of childcare, even if they test negative for COVID.
A local doctor told Eyewitness News that younger children are at higher risk of respiratory illness.
“Their lungs are not as developed as our older children’s lungs, so I’m worried about these viruses and this inflammation affecting the lungs. So wheezing and rapid breathing , respiratory stress and other symptoms,” said Dr. Rishma Chand of Dignity Health and Northridge Hospital.
new research show Vaccinating pregnant women could help protect newborns from RSV, raising hopes that a vaccine against the virus may finally be close after decades of failure.
Pfizer said Tuesday that a large international study found that vaccinations for expectant mothers were nearly 82% effective in preventing severe cases of RSV during the baby’s most vulnerable first 90 days of life. announced. At 6 months of age, the vaccine was proven to be 69% effective against serious illness and had no safety issues for mothers or babies.
The quest for a vaccine is not just for protecting infants. RSV is also dangerous for older people, and Pfizer and its rival GSK recently announced that competing injectables have proven to protect older people.
None of the findings are helpful, as an early RSV surge is already crowding children’s hospitals this year. But they put forward the prospect that one or more vaccines may be available before his RSV season next fall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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