Here & Now

Dr. Michael Landrum on Rising RSV Infections in Wisconsin

Frederica Freyberg:

Turning to health news, the rise in a respiratory virus called RSV along with flu and COVID in Wisconsin have health systems forewarning of capacity issues as hospitals, emergency rooms and clinics become overloaded. RSV afflicts children the hardest. Overall respiratory illnesses have caused hospitals to increase the number of pediatric beds and intensive care units. Statewide pediatric beds are 75% full and pediatric intensive care units are 80% full. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Michael Landrum with Bellin Health joins us from Green Bay. Thank you very much for being here.

Michael Landrum:

Happy to be with you.

Frederica Freyberg:

What is the situation where you are with all this?

Michael Landrum:

We’re about at the state average where we’re seeing an increase in the number of cases are RSV in children as well as respiratory illnesses in adults but we haven’t reached a, I would say, critical level in our capacity right now. We’ve been exploring options for what to do if numbers increase but we’ve been able to manage right now with the cases that we’ve seen.

Frederica Freyberg:

That’s good news in that area. According to the state Department of Health Services, this is the first year that three severe respiratory viruses are circulating at the same time with significant increases in cases. Have you ever seen anything like this kind of triad of viruses?

Michael Landrum:

No, I can’t remember a time in my career when I’ve seen anything like this. It just kind of goes along with the last three years with things that I’ve never seen before are now happening.

Frederica Freyberg:

So I understand RSV is rather common but that it is acting differently this year. Like it started earlier in the season, it may be causing more severe infection or infecting a more vulnerable infant population. Is that right?

Michael Landrum:

That’s all correct. We are definitely seeing more cases than we typically see this time of year. Usually RSV will peak in, I’d say, late December, January, maybe in February. And so while we can see cases this time of year in a typical or more normal year, we’re seeing a lot more than we typically do this time of year and that’s what’s really concerning. We don’t know will things continue to increase and we won’t reach our peak until a couple months from now, or will this peak early and then fade away early? So we are seeing a lot more disease right now than we typically do.

Frederica Freyberg:

What about in the infant population? Is that being hit particularly hard as we’ve been reading in other areas?

Michael Landrum:

RSV in general is worse for young children and infants. It’s more severe. Those children are more likely to be hospitalized with RSV so that is typical for most years that we do see the most severe cases in those young children.

Frederica Freyberg:

Should people be tested to determine which virus they are sick with?

Michael Landrum:

I would say we are testing patients that we see, both children and adults, for a number of respiratory viruses. That’s somewhat up to the clinical judgment of the provider who’s seeing the patient at the time. We do do a wide range of testing. We certainly have much more testing available now than we did even a few years ago so that is better. Most of these infections are, for RSV in particular, tend to be mild and things that can be managed at home and so you don’t need to rush in and get tested for that reason specifically. However, if your child is uncharacteristically sick, having trouble breathing, particularly young and vulnerable, then that’s when you want to call your pediatrician or your family physician and see what they recommend with coming in, getting evaluated and potentially tested.

Frederica Freyberg:

So between continuing COVID, the flu and RSV is the thought that isolation and masking over the past two years left people vulnerable?

Michael Landrum:

That is, you know, the theory that’s being circulated. RSV, influenza, respiratory viruses in general are things that are very common and people get year to year. So over the last few years as we’ve been masking and social distancing we haven’t been exposed to these things for a while. So our immune system in terms of fighting these off in the overall community and the population is a little bit lower against these things so it can lead to more transmission, more cases and perhaps more severe cases.

Frederica Freyberg:

What’s the prescription for trying to stem the outbreak, especially coming into the holidays?

Michael Landrum:

Well, absolutely. I’m glad you asked that question. Really if you are eligible to get vaccinated for influenza or to get vaccinated for COVID-19, whether that’s your initial immunization or to get a booster, please do so. The vaccines don’t prevent any infection from occurring. You can still get an infection but they definitely make it less severe. This year preliminary information from the CDC suggests the influenza vaccine is a good match for the strains we’re seeing causing a lot of cases at least right now early in the flu season. So please, please, please go and get vaccinated. That will help protect you. It protects others around you and it helps our health system from getting overloaded with all these respiratory diseases.

Frederica Freyberg:

Good advice, Dr. Michael Landrum, thank you very much.

Michael Landrum:

Thank you.