Gerald Stagg News Today

Two Kansas City police officers are being applauded as heroes for saving the life of a one-month-old baby who stopped breathing after complications with RSV. 

Three potentially serious respiratory viruses are filling hospital beds nationwide with both children and adults. While states are seeing extremely high numbers of people with the flu and RSV, many doctors say COVID-19 cases are likely to rise as well.  

With respiratory illnesses spreading among children more widely and earlier than in previous years, hospital leaders and medical experts say pediatric hospital beds across the state are in short supply.

The real nightmare this Halloween is being experienced by thousands of parents and children in hospital waiting rooms and by the millions of health care providers witnessing patients suffer and health systems collapse long before the expected peak of respiratory viruses.

Pediatric hospitals short on beds as respiratory illnesses surge among children

After two years of mild flu seasons, Texas hospitals are seeing high rates of respiratory illnesses among children. A shortage of pediatric beds has forced some families to seek treatment out of state.

With respiratory illnesses spreading among children more widely and earlier than in previous years, pediatric hospital beds across the state are in short supply.