With hospitals overwhelmed by RSV, health officials urge caution for holiday gatherings

SEATTLE, Wash. — Families are bracing for the potential of respiratory illnesses ahead of the holiday season where many families will be gathering together.

Hospitals across Washington state are seeing the effects of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, with emergency departments exceeding 100% capacity in many hospitals.

For most healthy people, RSV is a cold-like nuisance. But for the very young, the elderly, and people with certain health problems, it can be serious and even life-threatening. The virus can infect deep in the lungs, causing pneumonia, and in babies it can impede breathing by inflaming their tiny airways.

Mother Alisa Peterson said she got a first hand look at the effects RSV has on kids after her nephew was diagnosed with RSV. Peterson said her nephew was sick for a few months, but with no specific treatment for RSV infections, she said they just hoped for the best.

“There wasn’t a lot to do, so I know they did some kind of steroid for him to help his lungs a bit but there wasn’t much to do other than hope he doesn’t get worse,” said Peterson.

Health officials with Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital said that patients are still waiting hours to get seen with one of the longest wait times earlier this week hitting 12 hours and on Wednesday they said they saw over 220 patients.

“We’re making sure that we have capacity to treat those that come see us and make sure that we prioritize the sickest and the youngest," said Ben Whitworth, Chief Operating Officer with Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.

In an update Monday, theWashington State Hospital Association (WSHA) said the increase in RSV cases comes at a time when hospital capacity across the state remains limited.

WSHA Executive Vice President Taya Briley said RSV is impacting kids earlier in the season and emergency departments (ED) are exceeding 100% capacity in many hospitals. She said beds are filling due to seasonal illnesses, the flu, COVID-19 spreading, and patients in need of care.

RELATED:What to do if your kids get sick with RSV as hospitals reach capacity

Officials at Seattle Children's hospital said they continue to see long wait times with some patients being seen outside the hallways of the emergency department. A tent was set up outside the hospital's emergency department to help handle the influx of cases.

The tent is one of many ways the hospitals emergency department is staying prepared during the unprecedented volume of patients, according to a statement from Seattle Children's hospital officials.

"When volumes rise in the ED [Emergency Department], we use a number of strategies to optimize ancillary care space, including doubling up rooms in inpatient floors, converted storage rooms, and if necessary, the tent. The tent has been available as an ancillary care space for the past few years," officials said in a statement.

Hospitals expect to see increases in RSV in the coming months. Hospital officials ask that the community take precautions when they gather this holiday season to prevent the spread of RSV, as well as the flu and COVID-19.