Stollery hits capacity during 'unprecedented' surge in respiratory illnesses

The Stollery Children's Hospital is at capacity, and with the current deluge of respiratory illness expected to last months, medical experts are offering advice on how to keep kids healthy and when to seek medical help.

Dr. Carina Majaesic, Stollery Children's Hospital medical director, said the hospital is currently working on surge protocols to handle what she calls "unprecedented" levels of respiratory illnesses affecting children.

"What is unusual about this year is how many patients we see as well as how early it's started," she said. "You can see that across the country as well – we're not the only hospital which is experiencing this.

"All the children's hospitals are feeling the pressure of this year's viral infections, where we are well over our normal sort of level in terms of how many patients we're seeing and how many patients we're admitting."

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19 are the three main drivers of the early start to the respiratory illness season, leading to high rates of hospitalization and absenteeism in schools.

As of Tuesday, Majaesic said the Stollery had not yet had to pull resources from other services to address capacity. However, she said the number of cases coming in means sick kids are having to wait longer in emergency rooms.

To alleviate pressure on already strained hospitals, Majaesic said kids who aren't urgently sick should be booked in to see a family doctor or pediatrician, and some community pediatricians have opened for extra hours to help and alleviate the demand on hospitals.

Dr. Christopher Sikora, Edmonton Zone medical officer of health, said AHS facility admissions are up across the board as COVID-19 continues to circulate and flu transmission and the number of outbreaks increase.

Neither Sikora nor Majaesic could offer an explanation as to what is driving the current trifecta of infections, but both said it hasn't reached its peak and likely won't for at least a few months.

"We have been seeing more respiratory-related admissions over the past couple months overall," Sikora said, adding that a typical respiratory illness season lasts eight to 10 weeks.

"That's during normal times, and in an environment as we are in now, where we have both COVID, influenza as well as RSV and other respiratory pathogens circulating, I can't predict how long the season is going to be."

So, while the season lasts, it's important to try and stay healthy and know when to seek medical attention.

Handwashing, staying home when sick and wearing a mask in indoor public places can all help stop the spread of respiratory illnesses, Sikora said. Getting a flu shot and a COVID-19 booster when eligible are also good steps to take, he added.

When it comes to a sick kid, Majaesic said the flu is pretty predictable and children should start to feel better after a few days. If they don't, parents should consult a family doctor or pediatrician.

Signs that a child might need more immediate care are a persistent fever, shortness of breath and not being able to keep down fluids.

Parents who are unsure about their child's symptoms can call 811 to speak with a nurse. And, if parents do want to seek immediate care, Majaesic said they should keep in mind that emergency rooms will have the shortest wait times in the early morning.

"We have a lot of very dedicated, very hardworking staff who are really trying to make sure that the wait times are as short as they can be, even though they are longer than they normally would be," she said. "They are really working hard under extraordinary circumstances in order to try to help our public – particularly the kids in our public."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg