Soaring RSV cases test E.R. limits

New York City emergency rooms are stressed to the max treating respiratory syncytial virus — an illness commonly called RSV that’s seen a surge in cases over the past two months, data show.

“It’s at the highest levels any of us have ever seen,” Dr. James Schneider, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, told The Post Wednesday. “We’re caring for more kids than we have beds for.”

Data from the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene show a rapid increase in RSV cases in recent months, with a nearly tenfold increase in known cases since mid-September.

Last week, there were more than 4,500 positive cases, according to the department’s most recent data.

The virus, which typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms in older children and healthy adults, is fairly common and highly transmissible. While many cases of RSV can be treated at home — and nearly every child in the US catches the virus by the time they’re 2 — it can quickly become severe for the very old and the very young.

Historically, some 80,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized with RSV each year, according to the CDC. This year, the disease is spreading more quickly.

“Every winter, most pediatric emergency departments are full of infants with RSV,” said Schneider. “This isn’t an emerging new virus that’s throwing us a curveball.”

What is new, however, is the number of infections. Schneider told The Post his 37-bed pediatric ICU is already over capacity, with more than half of patients sick with RSV.