New York is facing an 'unprecedented' surge in pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases that the federal government must address before it's too late, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday.
show the virus is surging in New York, with the most recent testing statistics finding a 14.6% test positivity rate on Nov. 26. The positivity rate did not climb above 8% in any period of 2021.patient volume at Cohen’s was up 44% in October and November compared to the same months in pre-pandemic 2019, blaming the surge in RSV — and health providers are struggling to keep up with the load.
“It is outright scary given that hospitals are already struggling to keep up, and it’s possible the worst is yet to come,” said Schumer. “As a grandfather to two young children, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of them getting sick, and all across the city, Long Island and beyond, parents are facing hospitals who are pushed to the brink, with increased wait times, full beds, all while their child is struggling to breathe because of RSV.
Schumer says the feds are uniquely suited to tackle RSV in ways states and cities cannot, a phenomenon seen throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The senator is calling on the Department of Health & Human Services to be ready to act “at a moment’s notice” to provide temporary structures, surge staffing, and approve out-of-state providers, among other things, if it comes to it.
“Nobody really knows what will come next, and if a city or Long Island hospital says they need something, the feds need to be able to say ‘help is on the way right now,'” Schumer noted. “Hospitals cannot afford to wait.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Report: Wide racial disparity in New York prison discipline - New York Amsterdam NewsBlack and Hispanic people incarcerated in New York state prisons are more likely than white people to face further punishment once they wind up behind bars, according to a state inspector general report released Thursday.
Read more »
Feds should help NY hospitals dealing with RSV case surge: Sen. Chuck SchumerWhile the Big Apple reported a slight decline in RSV cases on Nov. 19, the rate of known infections has more than doubled since October, according to the most recently available data.
Read more »
New York Film Production Union Elects New Leaders, Wife of International President Is DefeatedThe New York local of IATSE has elected William “Dusty” Klatt as its new president, in the first change of leadership in the union since 2004. Klatt, a retired electrician, defeated Man…
Read more »
Hospital pediatric units around Alaska are packed as flu, RSV makes its roundsAn Anchorage-based pediatrician said a peak in respiratory illnesses in Alaska that’s hitting kids particularly hard was likely at least a few weeks away.
Read more »
Flu, COVID-19 and RSV Survival Guide for ParentsTo improve your chances of keeping your child healthy, Consumer Reports has a winter survival guide for parents.
Read more »