The UR Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital is currently at capacity, but the hospital is still able to see patients.
Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric specialist in Golisano’s emergency department, said there are other viruses sending kids to the hospital on top of COVID-19.
She said when schools return to session, an increase in child illness is expected. But this year, Murray said, “It seems like they're all just hitting at the same time right now.”
She said viruses usually come in seasonal waves that hospitals are staffed for. Dealing with multiple different colds at once is keeping the staff very busy.
“No one wants to see a bunch of sick children. That is always hard,” Murray said. “But we have a great team of people who are there literally day in and day out to help.”
Now with the newly relaxed COVID-19 protocols in schools, Murray said children are becoming more susceptible to germs and viruses.
One enterovirus, in particular, has resurfaced after almost 8 years of dormancy and is adding to the increased hospitalizations.
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mild cases of EV-D68 may include runny nose, sneezing, cough, body aches, and muscle aches. Severe symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing and a drop in oxygen level which can lead to a few days in the hospital.
“They usually recover just fine, but when they're sick, it can be very hard on the child,” Murray said. She said parents should be aware but not be alarmed by the circumstances.
She said parents should continue to reach out to their providers if they have a sick child, and do not hesitate to take severely ill children to the hospital.
“We understand that we can't prevent every single disease out there,” Murray said. “But making smart healthy choices are really important things to help keep our community safe.”
