RESPONSE
Healthcare Ready is ENGAGED for the pediatric surge in severe respiratory illnesses caused by viruses. We are in continuous communication with private and public sector partners to monitor impacts, shortages of pediatric medical supplies, supply chain needs for treatment and prevention, and health equity concerns.
PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL BED UTILIZATION MAP
This map was created to help healthcare professionals and emergency managers understand pediatric inpatient bed availability across the country. The map provides a visual representation of data sourced from: HHS’s COVID-19 Reported Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity by State Timeseries.
The map visualizes State-level Pediatric Bed Utilization Rate, which is the percent of pediatric beds occupied by patients (calculated as pediatric beds occupied / total pediatric beds).
Hover over a state to see additional data for that state.
Disclaimer: Local capacity may vary drastically within a given state as not all hospitals are reporting. As such, hospital capacity is likely lower than shown in this resource.
Hover over a state to see additional data for that state.
Note: The COVID-19 Reported Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity by State Timeseries dataset does not account for every hospital in a state, as it is not mandatory to submit data to Healthdata.gov.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Respiratory illnesses caused by viruses such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), enterovirus, and rhinovirus have been the driving force behind the increase in pediatric hospital admissions across the U.S. Officials are advising hospital systems to increase communication and resource/stock-sharing to address the present pediatric surge, especially as facilities are preparing for the possibility that overlapping viruses such as RSV, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), and influenza could result in disruption to testing and treatment supplies and hospitals reaching maximum capacity.
In recent months, healthcare providers have seen an uptick in all 3 respiratory illnesses, especially RSV. RSV is a respiratory virus that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms and tends to emerge yearly at the same time as flu in the United States. However, RSV infection can be serious for infants, as it is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, especially in children younger than 1 year of age in the U.S. RSV can also be serious for older adults and those who are immunocompromised.
Healthcare Ready remains focused on ensuring resources are available in sufficient quantities so that the most vulnerable communities, such as children, elderly, and the immunocompromised are appropriately prioritized. Our goal is to make sure scarce or limited resources are adequately reaching the communities that need it most.
This page provides information for the healthcare and public health community, situational reporting around the current response, and free resources and state-specific information to assist healthcare facilities, communities, and individuals with prevention and preparation for potential upticks in cases.
Situation Reporting
Healthcare Ready is releasing weekly reports on the impacts of the surge in severe pediatric respiratory illness, well as impacts to healthcare and public health. To sign up to receive future reports, click here.
Preparedness for Healthcare Facilities
There are several steps that can be taken to enhance regional preparedness. Healthcare facilities and pediatric hospitals can prepare communication and resource-sharing networks to be poised for response by:
Resources
General
RSV
Flu
COVID-19
News
Request Assistance from Healthcare Ready: If you would like to request assistance from Healthcare Ready, please email at Alerts@HealthcareReady.org or call (866-247-2694).
Healthcare Ready helps to strengthen healthcare supply chains through collaboration with public health and private sectors by addressing pressing issues before, during, and after disasters. As the convener of industry and government, we safeguard patient health by providing solutions to critical problems. And we provide best practices for healthcare preparedness and response. Learn more about how to support Healthcare Ready.