SAN DIEGO — Rady Children’s Hospital reached capacity on Thursday, confirming 56 patients hospitalized have RSV.
One father shared his experience with CBS 8 so that other parents know the signs to look for.
“It's a brutal process. It's brutal,” said Keith James.
James knew something was wrong with his then 10-week-old baby girl Ivy when he was trying to feed her one night a couple weeks ago.
"Feeding was really hard. Like, she was having a hard time swallowing and keeping milk down and everything and then when we laid her down, like there was this raspiness in her breathing," said James.
James and his wife called their doctor who advised them to take Ivy to the hospital.
She was diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, and spent more than a week at Rady Children's Hospital.
"I thought ok this is gonna be 24 hours in the hospital. We spent a total of 8 days in the hospital," said James.
Ivy was born six weeks early, and had to be hospitalized back then too.
James says this experience was just as difficult, in part because of how crowded Rady's was and still is with other children who also have RSV.
"They're doing their absolute best, but they're swamped so when you have your kid wheezing fighting for air and you know that the respiratory person has 60 other kids they have to deal with….it's a painful process, it's a helpless process," said James.
RSV is a common virus that impacts kids the most, but doctors both here and nationwide are seeing it much earlier this year.
"It usually used to show up more in the winter so like December, January, February months,” said Dr. Ahmad Bailony, chair of pediatrics at Sharp Chula Vista, and Ivy's pediatrician.
He says parents shouldn't be alarmed, but rather, aware.
Symptoms watch out for
In most cases, RSV will mask itself as a cold and go away on its own.
Symptoms include:
- Runny nose
- Decrease in appetite
- Sneezing
- Fever
- Wheezing
In infants however, the symptoms may not be as obvious.
Symptoms to look for:
- Irritability
- Decreased activity
- Breathing difficulties
Dr. Bailony says if your child has difficulty breathing, take them to the ER. If not, call your primary doctor for advice first.
As for prevention, RSV is very contagious so follow proper hygiene and stay home if you're sick.
James and and his wife aren't sure where Ivy got RSV from. They're just glad they were vigilant, and want other parents to do the same. They also have this advice for those who may experience what they just went through.
"It will get better," James said.
While there is no medicine or vaccine for RSV, both are currently in the works.
WATCH RELATED: Hundreds of children hospitalized with RSV in San Diego (Oct. 2022).
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