For the second week, children’s clinics in the country are full and under pressure due to the wave of respiratory diseases.
In the clinic for children’s diseases of the Aleksandrovska hospital in Sofia, the 30 beds intended for young patients are occupied. 40 days old is the youngest bronchiolitis patient with suspected RS virus. According to doctors, every second child being examined has a viral infection.
The National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases told bTV that a third of the samples tested were specifically with RS virus (respiratory syncytial virus). It is more severe in children, leading to bronchitis and pneumonia. In it, contamination from objects prevails.
Nia, 3, developed bronchiolitis, which doctors said was in the early stages of pneumonia. She was hospitalized urgently.
“She has had symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose for several days, and as of today we are already in the hospital. She has been in kindergarten for several months, we assume that she got infected there,” commented her mother Lyudmila Kovacheva
Doctors note an increased frequency of pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bacterial infections and RS viruses.
“RS virus mostly affects newborns, treatment lasts longer,” he commented. There is a spasm of the lungs, from where there is difficulty exhaling and a whistling noise is heard,” commented Ivaylo Nikolov, a specialist in the children’s clinic of Aleksandrovska UMBAL.
Pediatric wards in Burgas are also almost full. Enrollment with acute respiratory disease increased by 50 in one week.
“The short incubation period begins with discomfort in the nasopharynx, sore throat, runny nose, fever, and then complications of laryngitis and pneumonia quickly follow,” commented Dr. Hripsime Kasparian, Head of the Second Pediatric Department at UMBAL – Burgas.
“At the moment, respiratory viruses are circulating, the most strongly respiratory syncytial virus, but influenza viruses, parainfluenza viruses, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, that is, the usual for the season, are proving,” says Prof. Nelly Korsun, head of the NRL “Influenza and ENT” laboratory at the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Due to the rapid complications, pediatricians recommend that you contact your personal physician immediately if you experience symptoms.
Despite the almost full pediatric wards, doctors reassure that there is capacity and that seriously ill children are not returning.
