Alberta Health Services says it has been able to decrease the number of surge beds in use at Alberta Children's Hospital, located in northwest Calgary. (Alberta Children's Hospital)
Alberta Children’s Hospital remains under strain from influenza / challenging respiratory virus season, although health officials report some relief from the intense surge experienced in December.
Emergency room visits remain high but have eased compared to last month’s peak, which saw a significant wave of children suffering from respiratory viruses, particularly RSV and influenza, according to Alberta Health Services (AHS).
“[December] was extraordinarily busy. We’ve seen similar volumes during the 2022 triple-demic,” said Dr. Stephen Freedman, a pediatrics and emergency medicine professor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.
RSV cases reached their highest point in late December. Dr. Freedman, who works in the emergency department at Alberta Children’s Hospital, noted an increase in influenza cases among children since the holiday season ended.
“The emergency departments are still very busy,” Freedman said. Children with influenza typically present with fevers lasting five to seven days, along with coughs, runny noses, and sore throats. While many can recover at home, some develop complications like pneumonia.
Freedman highlighted the hospital’s efforts to manage the demand. “We’ve created spaces in the halls that are typically empty and sometimes assess children there. Beds have also been placed in administrative areas,” he explained. RSV often affects very young children severely, with many requiring oxygen support, leading to higher admission rates in December.
To cope with the surge, AHS added extra pediatric in-patient beds last month but has since scaled back as demand decreases. “Alberta Children’s Hospital continues to see an increase in respiratory conditions and admissions, which aligns with seasonal trends; however, demand has decreased recently,” an AHS spokesperson said in a statement.
The number of surge beds at the hospital has been reduced from 17 to 13, and three additional pediatric beds at the Peter Lougheed Centre in northeast Calgary have been closed. AHS also reported a moderate increase in emergency department visits at Alberta Children’s Hospital in December and January compared to last year.
Dr. Freedman emphasized the importance of vaccinations and preventive measures, such as frequent handwashing and keeping sick children at home. He urged parents to seek medical attention if their children show signs of lethargy, difficulty breathing, or reduced fluid intake and urination.
Data from a University of Calgary-led surveillance network revealed that, during the week of January 12–18, 24% of pediatric hospital patients in Canada tested positive for influenza, 17% for RSV, and 2.6% for SARS-CoV-2.
