BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston Children’s Hospital is reducing its elective schedule due to both rising cases of RSV and “the ongoing behavioral health crisis,” according to a hospital spokesperson.
“Like so many other pediatric hospitals across the country, Boston Children’s is experiencing high patient volume and significant wait times due to increased levels of seasonal illness, RSV,” the spokesperson said. They added that the goal of reducing the schedule is “to ensure that we have the capacity to care for our most at-risk patients.”
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cold virus that can cause severe illness in young children and elderly people. Cases detected by PCR tests have more than tripled over the past two months and are nearing last year’s peaks.
The spokesperson said the hospital is not currently transferring patients to other hospitals, and encouraged families in non-emergent cases to contact their primary care providers to determine the best treatment options for their children.
This comes as hospitals throughout New England and nationally fill up due to the spike in RSV cases.
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