Local hospital adjusts policy to increase in respiratory virus cases,

TEXARKANA, Texas — CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System officials have updated visitation practices for the women’s and children’s areas of its hospitals because of an increase in Respiratory Syncytial Virus locally.

However, Wadley Regional Medical Center officials say they have not seen a spike in RSV cases and continue with restricted visitation practices.

This month, CHRISTUS St. Michael has seen at least 25 pediatric cases of RSV.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, according to the CDC. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States. according to the CDC.

After a statewide alert from the Texas Department of State Health Services about RSV, CHRISTUS St. Michael is not allowing visitors under the age of 18 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Mother/ Baby Unit, or the Labor and Delivery Unit, according to a press release.

“With the masking and hand hygiene practices in place across our community (for COVID-19), we did not have the normal respiratory virus season in the fall and winter like we have in years’ past,” said Ashley Wilson, BSN, RN, CIC, infection preventionist, in the CHRISTUS St. Michael statement.

“This spring and summer, we have seen abnormally increased occurrences of RSV. In order to protect our newborns, youngest and most critically ill and injured infants, we are instituting this temporary visitation restriction.”

At Wadley, a screener greets visitors at the door and asks a series of questions in a form of self-monitoring, said Shelby Brown, Wadley’s marketing director.

If visitors come to the hospital without a mask, a mask will be provided, she said.