WITH RESPIRATORY VIRUSES SKYROCKETING IN NORTH COUNTRY CHILDREN, SCHUMER WILL CALL ON FEDS TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE ACTION PLAN TO HELP OVERWHELMED UPSTATE HOSPITALS; WITH OVER 300 RSV CASES IN ST. LAWRENCE HEALTH SYSTEM AND HUNDREDS MORE ACROSS NORTH COUNTRY, SCHUMER WILL CALL ON FEDS TO HELP PROTECT NY CHILDREN, KEEP OUR HOSPITALS PREPARED, AND COMBAT RSV BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV), Has Reached Unprecedented Levels In Hospitals Nationwide At Nearly 7x The Weekly Rate Pre-Covid According To The CDC, Last Month Nearly 6/7 Pediatric Emergency Patients in Watertown’s Samaritan Medical Center Had RSV

RSV Can Be Serious For Young Children And The Elderly –  Just Last Week, Canton Central School Had Nearly 15% Of Students Out With Mostly Respiratory Viruses – In This Season Alone, St. Lawrence Health System Has Had Well Over 300 RSV Cases – With Flu Sky Rocketing As Well

Senator Says Feds Need A Comprehensive Plan To Address RSV and Be Ready to Send in Federal Support the Moment It’s Needed

Schumer: RSV Is On The Rise, And Feds Need To Step Up To Help Upstate Hospitals

Standing in Lewis County as Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) and other respiratory illnesses surge in children across the North Country, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer launched a major new push to increase federal support for Upstate hospitals strained by the dramatic increase in RSV cases. Flanked by frontline doctors, Schumer explained that this is the busiest RSV and flu season that Upstate hospitals like Lewis County General Hospital and the St. Lawrence Health System has ever seen, with nearly 300 RSV cases just last month alone in St. Lawrence’s hospitals and nearly 80% of the patients this season being children, Lewis County is averaging 70 cases a month contributing to an overwhelmed regionally health system. Schumer said the spiking levels of RSV with growing flu rates warrants immediately federal action, and called for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be ready to act at a moment’s notice to provide whatever support upstate hospitals need. Schumer reported that the federal government has unique authority to help, with the power to support temporary structures, surge staffing if there are not enough pediatricians available, moving patients across states lines, credentialing out of state providers, enhancing the use of telehealth, coordinating medical supply chains and more. 

“North Country hospitals are facing an unprecedented surge in RSV cases among children, and public health experts all say it is only going to get worse as we enter the cold winter months. Normally, RSV cases start to grow in October and November before peaking in December and January. It is outright scary given that hospitals are already struggling to keep up, and it’s possible the worst is yet to come. As a grandfather to two young children, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of them getting sick, and all across the North Country and Upstate NY parents are facing hospitals who are pushed to the brink, with increased wait times, full beds, all while their child is struggling to breathe because of RSV,” said Senator Schumer. “Hospitals are doing their best on the frontlines, but the feds need to step up with a comprehensive plan to respond to this major spike and be ready for it to get worse. The feds have a unique ability to get more doctors and supplies where it’s needed, and they need to be prepared to do so. Nobody really knows what will come next, and if an Upstate hospital says they need something, the feds need to be able to say ‘help is on the way right now.’ Hospitals cannot afford to wait.”

"We are thankful for Senator Schumer's ongoing commitment to addressing rural health access challenges in Lewis County and throughout the North Country. His advocacy and work to secure additional resources for our health system and hospitals across the state are vital if we are to safeguard local access to health care today, tomorrow, and for the next generation,” said Gerald R. Cayer, MPH, CEO of Lewis County Health System. “Like other hospital health systems across the North Country, we are experiencing the stress and strain of the surge in respiratory illness, particularly the flu, COVID, and RSV over the last two months. As a result, we are seeing a significant increase in the volume of patients seeking care for respiratory illness in our primary care clinics, emergency department, and the hospital's inpatient unit.”

Specifically, Schumer said that he is calling for HHS to be ready and, if requested by hospitals, use its unique authority to help. Tools at HHS’ disposal includes the power to support temporary structures like screening tents, surge staffing if there are not enough pediatricians available, moving patients across states lines, credentialing out of state providers, enhancing the use of telehealth, coordinating medical supply chains and more.  

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Schumer said that while most adults recover in a week or two, RSV can be very serious, especially for young children and older adults. 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 1 year of age in the United States. 

Last month, the Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics warned of “unprecedented levels” of RSV combined with increasing flu circulation are pushing many hospitals to the breaking point. At nearby Samaritan Medical Center, the cases this year just so far have already exceeded last year’s totals for many respiratory viruses like RSV and the Flu. Last month, Samaritan Medical Center, said that 85% of admissions into its pediatric unit had been respiratory related. During November and December there have been 34 RSV cases so far, 24 of those cases being children. These serious cases also mirror general spikes across the region, last week  Canton Central School on Wednesday, approximately 15% of students were absent largely due to respiratory viruses. In St. Lawrence County during October, November and December there have been a total of 419 cases, 331 of those being children. This major strain also comes as flu cases also are spiking across New York State adding over 27,000 cases last week, placing further strain on the health system. Earlier this week Lewis County had over 35 flu cases in just one day. During November and December Samaritan Medical Center in Jefferson County has had over 205 flu cases so far, 103 of those cases being children. This is a 145 % increase from 2021.  In St. Lawrence County, there have been a total of 205 flu cases in November and December. A majority of the cases, 148 cases, coming in just the first nine days of December.

Infants 6 months and younger are getting hospitalized with RSV at more than seven times the weekly rate observed before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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