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November 29, 20222, Sarah Reith \u2014 Cold and flu season arrived early this year, with an extra hard-hitting strain of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which can be dangerous for children and elderly people. With dwindling numbers of pediatric beds available nationwide, kids who need to be hospitalized often have to travel out of the county to receive a high level of care. Doctor Casey Johnston, a pediatrician who works in Ukiah and Lakeport, says that on top of covid, this is a particularly bad season for respiratory illnesses.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s several different reasons why it\u2019s a bad year,\u201d she said. \u201cNormally we see surges in influenza and RSV. Every few years there\u2019s a worse year for those conditions. We also have covid now, and actually there are some cases of people getting covid and the flu at the same time. So when your immune system gets hit with one thing, you\u2019re more susceptible to get another virus. And then also a lot of people weren\u2019t getting the normal exposures the last couple of years and building immunity. So we\u2019re seeing a lot of particularly young kids get hit hard with these illnesses, especially flu and RSV.\u201d\n\nThe three afflictions present similarly, with cough, congestion, fevers, and body aches. Dr. Johnston recommends lots of rest, and especially hydration. \u201cBecause once a kid starts to get dehydrated, they feel worse, and they don\u2019t want to drink, and then it just gets worse and worse. So hydration is key,\u201d she explained.\n\nBabies suffering from RSV often experience a lot of mucus buildup, from the nostrils to the lower airways, which can lead to bronchiolitis, a serious illness. This can be addressed with common over-the-counter bulb suction devices, which can be found at any drugstore and feature easy-to-follow instructions.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s important to know when to get urgent medical care,\u201d Dr. Johnston emphasized. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of things we can try at home, but if your child or baby is breathing really rapidly or using a lot of muscles, for instance you can see their ribs because their chest muscles are working so hard to move their lungs, then that would be a reason to bring your child in immediately to get medical care. Another reason is altered mental status. So they\u2019re excessively fatigued. They\u2019re not wanting to wake up, or if they\u2019re dehydrated, they\u2019re not wanting to drink fluids. They\u2019re not making the normal number of wet diapers if they\u2019re still in diapers. Those are also reasons to get medical intervention. Another thing, too, is if fevers are persisting for more than four days, that might be a sign that there is another infection, such an ear infection or pneumonia. So that would be a reason to get medical care, too.\u201d\n\nThe Biden administration has resisted calls to declare an emergency that would make it easier for communities to request state and federal aid, saying assistance would be provided on a case by case basis. Mendocino County has not yet requested state or federal aid, but \u201cOur ER\u2019s right now are packed,\u201d Dr. Johnston said. \u201cThere aren\u2019t many hospital beds for kids\u2026the ICU\u2019s in the state are packed as well. It is really difficult to get an ICU bed for kids right now.\u201d She said the pediatric team at U.C. Davis is offering its resources, including consultations, to local practitioners, \u201cSo we have state and local resources,\u201d she reflected. But the nationwide shortage of pediatric beds is not helping. \u201cOver the last couple of decades, the number of hospital beds for kids has decreased,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd the number of hospitals with pediatric wards has decreased\u2026.part of that has to do with the effectiveness of vaccines. We\u2019re seeing a lot less meningitis, a lot less pneumonia and serious bacterial infections, thank goodness. So there is probably a little bit less need right now. But when we have these surges of respiratory illness, RSV, and really sick kids, we need those resources still. So it is a tough situation. And we definitely need more pediatric beds.\u201d