Accounting for a respiratory surge

Hospitals are dealing with a new type of surge.  It is not COVID but the pandemic may have led to the new respiratory virus surge.  Children’s hospitals are reporting they are out of beds, overwhelmed by what Dr. Robin LaCroix of South Carolina refers to as RSV.  Doctors think it is a likely result of the pandemic – that children were not exposed to RSV because of masks and social distancing and now they are getting it all at once.  Late this week there is wonder about the illnesses among Walhalla High students.  Those who are sick have dropped the numbers of healthy Razorback football players.  Last night’s Pendleton at Walhalla jayvee game was cancelled.  Dr. LaCroix is pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical director of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the Upstate.  Yesterday LaCroix singled out Oconee Memorial as a facility equipped to deal with the surge.  Oconee, she said, has physicians and other staff with expertise to care for the children.