Doctors warn of flu, RSV surge as cases more than double for children at Bay Area hospital

Spike in respiratory illnesses in kids

Tampa Bay area hospitals are seeing a big surge in kids showing up with RSV, flu and other respiratory illnesses. FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - No one wants to see the smallest family members down for the count, but Tampa Bay area doctors said more kids are coming in sick this holiday season, some forced to stay in the hospital with respiratory illnesses.

What they're saying:

"We ran our numbers at the beginning of this month, and our influenza was up 300% when compared to last year," Dr. Ebony Hunter, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, said. "Our RSV was up 100%, and our other respiratory viruses that we could track were up over 200%."

Hunter suggests parents watch for signs of struggling to eat and keep food down, a fever that will not lower with Tylenol or ibuprofen, and your child’s breathing.

"The child seems like they're struggling to pull in air, whether it's something you notice about how their face is pulling in air or their body, their stomach, or how fatigued they're looking," Hunter said.

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FOX 13’s Allie Corey said her own daughter is recovering from RSV and croup this holiday season. Two-year-old Olivia is feeling better now, but just a few nights ago her parents noticed she was fussy, lethargic and just not herself.

"But then, Sunday morning, she woke up with this just really awful sounding barking cough," Corey said. "She kept waking up every 30 to 45 minutes. We were having to hold her alternate, staying up with her."

She said they had a gut feeling something wasn't right.

"We knew on Sunday night that this was not just a cold, that this was a lot more severe because of how hard she was fighting to breathe, and that was really scary," Corey said.

On Monday, Olivia’s parents took her to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa. 

Corey said doctors and nurses kept her overnight, giving Olivia oxygen treatment, steroids and epinephrine for RSV and croup.

"They basically said that they had a lot of viruses that were going on," Corey said, of the pediatric cases the doctors were handling.

What you can do:

Corey said she noticed her daughter’s stomach was compressing as she was struggling to breathe, adding that it was hard to see. The treatments at the hospital helped Olivia feel better and continue recovering at home.

"But she's doing so much better now. I just want to thank the staff and the doctors because they're just incredible," Corey said.

A hospital visit is never at the top of anyone’s Christmas list, but doctors say your child’s health is the best gift.

"If you've done everything that you needed to do at home, and you're not getting anywhere, that's what we're here for," Hunter said.

Doctors at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital recommend the flu shot and the RSV vaccine. The FDA approved the RSV vaccine for pregnant women as well. Doctors encourage good handwashing and masking if you do not feel well.