Wellington Hospital sees ‘sharp and exponential increase’ in RSV cases

The Wellington region is seeing an exponential increase in RSV cases, with around 20 children currently hospitalized at Wellington Regional Hospital with the potentially fatal virus, including two babies in intensive care.

The sudden surge of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is linked to the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, with doctors claiming Australians arriving in New Zealand infect susceptible populations without or with reduced immunity.

“The bubble burst allowing Australians infected with RSV to enter New Zealand, and without a managed stay in isolation, they mingled with New Zealanders and the virus was transmitted, which sparked an epidemic quite important of RSV, ”said Dr. Sue Huang, ESR virologist.

The number of detected cases swelled from four cases detected in hospital swabs covering 70% of the country during the week to May 23, to a whopping 538 cases during the week to June 27.

Almost 1,000 cases, across all age groups, have been found in just six weeks.

“It really is a strong and exponential increase in VRS,” said Huang.

READ MORE:
* RSV outbreak: Babies with severe virus on the rise across country
* Respiratory virus hacks the way to Rotorua
* Auckland Children’s Hospital bans siblings from visiting due to rise in respiratory viruses
* Auckland emergency services fight winter virus outbreak
* Mai FM host K’Lee exhausted and “lost” with baby in intensive care

The medical director of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, Dr Bryan Betty, agreed.

“Essentially, it was the bubble that brought it in. Because the kids weren’t exposed to it. [last year], they seem to have reduced immunity, ”said the Porirua-based GP. “We also see adults, but it’s the children who are getting sicker and sicker. “

Last year’s Covid-19 precautions suppressed the normal circulation of colds and RSV. But with greater face-to-face interaction this year, the impact of RSV has been felt nationwide, wreaking havoc in flooded hospitals and emergency departments.

Rachel and Hayden Harrison from Lower Hutt know all about RSV now. Their 3.5-week-old daughter started showing symptoms last Friday night and was rushed to Hutt hospital on Sunday morning, struggling to breathe.

She was airlifted to Starship Hospital in Auckland, where she was sedated and put on a ventilator.

“Without a machine, she couldn’t breathe,” Rachel Harrison said.

she had picked up VRS, of her toddler brother – and the respiratory disease turned into a lung infection, bronchiolitis.

“We went to the doctor for two days in a row with our toddler for advice because we knew she had caught some sort of cold. But basically in two days it went from a whiny nose and a slight cough to being in intensive care, which is quite a shock, ”said Hayden Harrison.

Millie, the four-week-old daughter of Newlands mother Leiani-lee Blair, contracted RSV from her seven-year-old brother last week.

Blair rushed Millie – “gagging, choking and breathless” – to Wellington Hospital last Tuesday night, before being admitted for two nights, struggling to breathe, eat and not produce enough urine.

“I don’t think there has been much awareness [RSV]. I guess the [outbreak’s] has happened so quickly that hospitals are overwhelmed, ”said Blair. “I had to alert my oldest daughter’s school to remind parents to keep their children home when they are sick. Even a simple cold is so dangerous for anyone who is immunocompromised and for babies. “

Dr Andrew Marshall, clinical manager of child health at the Capital & Coast District Health Council, said nearly 100 people have been admitted to Wellington Hospital with RSV and respiratory illnesses in the past four weeks, and about the same number seen in and out of his emergency department.

“Hutt [Hospital] The emergency department saw around 116 children with respiratory and winter-type illnesses this month, 24 of whom had to be hospitalized, ”he said. “There are currently around 20 children of varying ages and varying levels of discomfort admitted to Wellington Regional Hospital, with two infants currently in intensive care.”

Upper Hutt home educator Abby Wilton’s son Brock Wilton-Weaver was 18 months old when he contracted RSV bronchopneumonia in 2019, when he initially thought it was “Just a simple cold”.

After starting at Hutt Hospital, Brock was also transferred to Wellington Hospital for 12 hours before being airlifted to Starship Hospital where he spent eight days in a induced coma.

“It really, really attacked their lungs. He couldn’t breathe for himself. He couldn’t even just be on oxygen and breathe awake, they had to knock him out. There just wasn’t enough oxygen coming in.

“The tubes were going into his lungs, they had to put saline in there and put that tube in to suck out all the mucus, so it was pretty awful.” I just had to leave the room. It looked pretty dark, so we ended up sending our family out because we didn’t think we were going to bring him home, ”Wilton said.

After 10 painful days, Brock turned a corner and, although he made a full recovery, Wilton said she has learned to trust her instincts when it comes to the health of her children.

“I’m a pretty strong person, and when you are told ‘oh they’re okay’ and you know they’re not, you drive straight from the GP and go to the hospital,” said Wilton said.