Even as COVID hospitalizations start to drop, those causing RSV in children have jumped. (CRISP report/Sask Health)

By Susan McNeil

Respiratory outbreaks

RSV cases increase as do pediatric hospitalizations

Dec 23, 2022 | 2:00 PM

Even as COVID hospitalizations are starting to drop again, the number of children hospitalized with RSV infections in Saskatchewan has doubled.

In the week of December 11 to 17, 37 people (almost all children) were admitted to hospital with RSV and one is in ICU. The previous week saw 23 admissions.

Almost all the RSV cases are in very young children and the majority of hospitalizations caused by RSV are in children aged zero to 19.

The bi-weekly CRISP report issued by Saskatchewan Health shows that 94 children aged four and younger contracted RSV in the reporting period that ended on December 17. Another 57 had influenza and 23 had COVID.

Respiratory Synctial Virus has no vaccine and is common in very young children. This fall has seen one of the worst seasons yet and is combined with what has been an equally serious influenza outbreak along with COVID infections.

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According to Health Canada, the federal test positivity for RSV is 7.6 per cent, but Saskatchewan is reporting a 10.5 per cent rate in the most recent period.

All told, there were 149 cases of RSV in Saskatchewan and over 110 of them were in children.

Influenza cases province wide reduced but La Ronge and the North East continue to be hot spots with over 46 per cent and almost 44 per cent test positivity.

Three people died of influenza in Saskatchewan in the two weeks leading up to December 17 and 253 cases were confirmed.

There were 37 people admitted to hospital and four people to ICU from December 11 to 17, a reduction of the 71 admitted the week before and eight patients admitted to ICU.

COVID still counts for the largest number of people hospitalized with a respiratory illness and 105 people were admitted the week of Dec. 11 to 17 and four added to the ICU roster.

North Central numbers have improved from previous reporting periods. Test positivity for COVID-19 stands at 9.8 per cent and for flu it is 11.6 per cent.

Just over 40 per cent of people are up to date with COVID vaccines in the region but only 20 per cent of people have gotten their influenza vaccine.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com