‘We were rushed into trauma’: A look inside Canada’s RSV and flu crisis

Amanda Weger is still a little stunned that what started with a mild fever and a cough for her 23-month-old daughter has now turned into a two-week stay at Alberta Children’s Hospital, including a week in intensive care.

“A trauma team rushed in, they were hooking her up to all the monitors and I just stood there in shock. I didn’t realize she was as sick as she was,” Weger said.

Avery Harper is one of the many children currently struggling with RSV and flu in Canada. The viral diseases are hitting young patients so hard that children’s hospitals across the country are overwhelmed.

“In general, we see more children requiring oxygen and other supportive therapies at this time than we did with the COVID surge in the spring. But even then, our emergency department volumes were nowhere near where they are now,” said Dr. Stephen Freedman, an emergency department physician at Alberta Children’s Hospital, said: “It’s because of the timing of these viruses, it’s all happening at the same time.”

When Avery was admitted to the ICU, her mother says there were 15 other patients in the unit, all with RSV, flu or both viruses at the same time.

“It was scary; there were paramedics dropping off children, literally as one stretcher was taken away, another took its place within minutes,” Weger said.

1:49
RSV, other respiratory illnesses stressing Alberta Children’s Hospital staff and wait times

During Avery’s time in intensive care and with her family’s permission, the little girl was photographed by Dr. Heather Patterson.

The emergency physician and photographer has been documenting staff and patient experiences in hospitals since the start of the COVID pandemic for a project intended to inspire frontline workers to carry on through challenging times.

“Healthcare workers across the country who work in child health are running as fast as they can and they’re dedicated and resilient people, but they’re also very tired,” says Dr. Laura Sauve, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and the chair of the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee.

“Hospitals have to be creative to make sure we can provide high levels of care, even when we’re stretched really, really thin.”

2:09
Canada’s ER crisis: Doctors urge governments to find solutions to ‘dangerous’ wait times

For two weeks, Amanda Weger and her daughter saw it firsthand.

“Our health care system is on life support right now, I feel like it’s worse than when COVID first hit,” she said. “My heart breaks for these healthcare workers. They are so busy.”

Avery is still recovering in the hospital, although she is no longer in intensive care. Her mother hopes they will be able to go home within the next week.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.