CHEO reports ‘unprecedented demand’, surge in respiratory illness

OTTAWA – A major Ottawa pediatric hospital says it’s contending with “unprecedented demand” as it reports a surge in cases of a common respiratory virus.

CHEO says the spike in respiratory syncytial virus comes as kids previously shielded by COVID-19 health restrictions are exposed to it for the first time.

The hospital says it has admitted 30 children with the virus this month, when pre-pandemic it averaged three children for all of the month of October.

CHEO says the RSV season is also starting earlier than usual, placing pressures on a hospital system now grappling with flu season and a reported uptick in COVID-19 admissions.

The hospital says its inpatient and intensive care units are running well over capacity and its emergency room, built for 150 daily visits, is seeing an average of 229.

In Hamilton, a spokesperson for McMaster Children’s Hospital says there are less than 10 admitted patients with the virus, but they remain concerned about hospital capacity with reports of an unusually high seasonal surge in viral illnesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2022.

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