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Hardly any intensive care beds are available in German children's hospitals.
RS viruses are rampant at the moment and can lead to severe respiratory infections, especially in younger children.
In many places, the capacity has been exhausted, and in some cases seriously ill children are turned away.
The situation in the Würzburg Missio children's clinic is extremely tense.
Christina Kohlhauser-Vollmuth, chief physician at the Missio children's clinic in Würzburg
»So we are currently fully occupied here in Würzburg in the Missio children's clinic.
We have many seriously ill newborns - i.e. within the first four weeks of life, infants up to the age of one year - and small children and kindergarten children with infections, especially at the moment of the RS virus.
Something that is currently traveling through all children's hospitals in Germany and makes the occupancy and care of the patients difficult, sometimes critical."
The RS virus, the respiratory syncytial virus, is a respiratory disease that manifests itself in symptoms such as a runny nose, cough and fever.
Younger children in particular have narrower airways, which makes them more susceptible to bronchitis and more severe infections.
Lisa Trinklein, mother of an infant with RSV
“Yes, we're already here for two weeks tomorrow.
So, it's quite a long time.
He was really bad at first too.
Of course we were very, very, very worried.
(It's) very emotional when the little one is doing so badly and you can't do anything, especially the viral disease.
And just got on the oxygen support and yes... time, patience and things are improving now.
Now he's better, no longer has a fever, can breathe better again.
The values are improving and now we hope to be released soon, yes.”
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 58 percent of the zero to four-year-olds in hospitals with severe respiratory infections are currently suffering from RS viruses.
On Thursday, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach announced measures against the overload of medical care for children.
Karl Lauterbach, Federal Health Minister
“We will be moving staff from the regular adult wards to the children's wards, especially nursing staff.
I have asked the health insurance companies not to check the minimum staffing levels in the children's wards or in the adult wards, and to suspend the sanctions.«
Whether these measures can solve the pediatric crisis remains to be seen.
According to the chief physician of the Missio children's clinic in Würzburg, there are other problems in addition to the lack of space and an acute shortage of staff.
Christina Kohlhauser-Vollmuth, chief physician at the Missio children's clinic in Würzburg
»The fact that there is hardly any space in children's clinics is a problem that has existed for many years, or that there are problems in children's clinics.
This is because children are special patients.
And I always say that in pediatrics we have two patients to look after - the child and the parents.
And not everything can be planned like with adults.
That means we have higher running costs, higher staffing requirements and are paid less than all other areas in the clinic.«