A common respiratory virus that can become a serious ailment has caused a jump in hospitalizations of children in New Mexico hospitals.

Respiratory syncytial virus, called RSV, “usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms” but can be serious, particularly for infants and older adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

“RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis [inflammation of the small airways in the lung] and pneumonia [infection of the lungs] in children younger than one in the United States,” the CDC said.

Facilities such as Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque have experienced a surge in RSV cases, particularly with young patients, www.koat.com reported.

“We are really overwhelmed with the numbers that we are encountering,” said Dr. John Pederson, children's program medical director at Presbyterian, according to www.koat.com. “Pretty much on a daily basis, we are filling our beds and having to close our units to further patients.”

The trend at Presbyterian Hospital began once children returned to school in August, when rhinovirus (which causes the common cold) cases were peaking at the hospital, www.koat.com reported. To address overcapacity, hospitals officials are working with University of New Mexico Hospital.

“[We're] discussing our beds situation, both at UNMH and at Presbyterian, and trying to figure out the best place for kids that are waiting,” www.koat.com reported Pederson as saying.

Staff members at the Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces are having problems keeping pediatric beds open because of the rise in respiratory illnesses, www.koat.com reported.

“RSV has really come back with a vengeance in the last 45 days,” said Dr. Jorge Sainz, medical director of the pediatric ICU at Memorial Medical Center, according to www.koat.com. “This morning there are actually some beds available, but it really changes on a daily basis We have had a shortage of nurses, a shortage of respiratory therapists, making less beds available for pediatrics and the same thing for adult medicine.”

Hospitals, Pederson noted, are in a situation in which pediatric cases of respiratory viruses are surging, www.koat.com reported. He added, "It's a challenge because we don't have those nurses and the beds that we had in the pre-pandemic time." 

Pederson and other doctors have noticed overall low immunity of young children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, www.koat.com reported.

“We now have several years in which people, their immune systems have not been exposed to these viruses," Pederson said, according to www.koat.com. "And we had at least two years of children who have not seen RSV.” 

Respiratory illnesses require preventative measures, including hand washing, wearing a face mask and staying home when sick, www.koat.com said.