Because of the virus wave: pediatricians in the district under constant stress - "It's hardly manageable"
Created: 03/12/2022, 09:00
Small children in particular are affected by an infection with the RS virus © dpa/Marijan Murat
Every second child who comes to him has a cough or fever, says pediatrician Martin Griebel from Poing.
In addition, the RS virus is now spreading.
District – Anyone who is currently calling pediatricians in the Ebersberg district has a problem.
Because in order to get through to a human ear in practice, callers either have to endure a long queue or many attempts with busy signals.
The reason for this: the cases of flu infections in the Ebersberg district have been increasing for weeks.
Now the wave is also hitting the small district residents with full force.
“We have a lot of sick children.
It's hard to cope with," says pediatrician Martin Griebel from Poing, audibly stressed on the phone.
Every second child has a cough or fever right now, he continues.
In order to keep the practice running as well as possible, the small patients in Poing are divided into two groups - those who are contagious and those who are not.
"If a child comes to the wrong consultation hour, we have to put it off until later," regrets the pediatrician.
Because of the flu wave and the increasing spread of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a disease of the upper and lower respiratory tract, there are long infection consultation hours in the group practice every day.
But above all, the rapid spread of the RS virus is currently worrying the paediatricians.
The virus is more widespread than you think
“The virus is much more widespread than you think.
Adults can also be infected,” says the pediatrician.
"They just don't have as severe symptoms." Premature babies and children under the age of one year are at high risk of respiratory infections.
Parents can identify an RSV infection in their child by the following symptoms: dry cough, persistent tiredness and heavy and labored breathing.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, crackling or whistling noises from the lungs and difficulties in eating are also signs of an illness.
There is no treatment option yet
There is not yet a specific therapy option or an antibiotic against the virus.
"We treat it symptomatically," reports the Poinger pediatrician Griebel.
There is a prophylactic antibiotic, but the child has to be injected with it every month.
In addition, such an injection is very expensive: the prophylaxis costs around 800 euros.
"The antibiotic is currently only intended for high-risk patients," emphasizes the pediatrician.
"It also does not protect 100 percent, but only prevents a severe course of the disease."
Parents with sick children should therefore first keep calm and observe the symptoms.
"Not every child with a cold has the RS virus," says Griebel.
Panic is not very helpful anyway – the practices have the situation very well under control.
Referral to children's hospital can be problematic
In Poing only a few children with the RS virus had to be referred to a children's clinic.
But when the time comes, it can become problematic, because: “The clinics are already incredibly full.
We called ten clinics and none of them could admit the sick child,” the pediatrician describes a case.
The Kreisklinik Ebersberg does not have a children's ward.
"The child then had to be taken to Deggendorf by ambulance."
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Nevertheless, these are isolated cases.
The generally difficult pediatric situation in the district should be considered.
"But it won't get any better in the future," regrets supply physician Marc Block.
(
by Anna Liebelt
)
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