Tauranga Hospital. Photo / NZME
A "downward trend" in cases of RSV has eased pressure for Bay hospitals who have seen hundreds of patients battle with the respiratory illness since the beginning of the outbreak in May.
But health professionals are warning despite the decrease in numbers, they continue to see new cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children and adults.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board clinical nurse specialist infection prevention and control Robyn Boyne said RSV was no longer the main reason for admission on the children's ward.
"There is a general downward trend in the number of cases being seen, but we are still seeing some new cases."
Boyne said there had been no RSV cases in paediatric patients since August 7.
A total of 400 patients - 124 adults and 276 children with RSV - had been seen by the DHB this year as of August 12.
However she said not all of these cases were admitted to hospital, as some were assessed in ED and sent home.
She said in general, the hospital was "coping well" with RSV cases.
"Especially given that it is a very busy time in general currently for patient admission numbers for many different reasons."
One adult patient was currently in ICU with RSV, she said.
Toi Te Ora Public Health medical officer of health Dr Phil Shoemack said he was aware RSV was still present although recorded numbers were declining.
"At the start of the outbreak in early July, Toi Te Ora provided information on preventing and managing the virus to its networks including early learning services," he said.
"Since sharing this information, we have seen a significant reduction in inquiries about RSV from ELSs. We are also receiving fewer reports of RSV being detected in aged residential care facilities."
A Lakes District Health Board spokeswoman said there had been a "significant improvement" in the number of RSV cases presenting to hospital and being admitted to the children's unit.
"Children with RSV are now in the minority," she said.
"The admission rate now is more like our usual busy winter pattern, so the ward and emergency department remain stretched with additional workload."
She said the reduced RSV numbers were a "credit to whānau for keeping their children home if they have colds or chest infections and contacting their doctors if concerned about their children".
BestStart Educare deputy chief executive Fiona Hughes said anecdotally they had seen "significantly fewer children away sick" at their centres nationwide - including in Tauranga.
"We know how much parents value good health for their children, and they have been great at keeping unwell children home," Hughes said.
ESR public health physician Dr Sarah Jefferies said the prevalence of RSV was likely the result of lower population immunity because of New Zealand's Covid-19 isolation last year and the increase in movement since then.
She said the "much lower levels of population immunity against RSV" was explained by the Covid-19 response which then led to "exceptionally high RSV activity" in the past five weeks.
She was haunted by her daughter's own experience with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 2019.
But only weeks after speaking out her 8-year-old daughter Chloe Crump, who lives with bronchiectasis and severe asthma, was diagnosed with RSV for a second time.
"It was quite unnerving to be honest, at first I was freaked out because I wasn't sure if she was going to get worse," she said.
"She had reasonably mild symptoms but it caused complications with her bronchiectasis."
Chloe was then admitted to hospital for IV antibiotic treatment. And after days in hospital, her condition started to improve.
She was unable to take antibiotics orally as her body had developed an aversion to oral medication, Crump said.
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease caused by repeated chest infections and chronic inflammation where the airways in the lungs have become scarred and damaged.
This makes Chloe more susceptible to severe chest infections that can be caused by something as simple as the common cold.
She's also been diagnosed with autism and ADHD.
"Her respiratory issues started when she was 5 months old so she doesn't know any different, she copes really well even when she is in hospital."
Chloe used a nebuliser twice a day to help keep her lungs clear of bacteria, and had been admitted to hospital three times this year.
She was recently gifted a new trampoline through Hell Pizza's programme Satan's Little Helper, which helped with her regular physio treatment.
"The bouncing helps trigger a cough reflex and that can loosen the mucus in her lungs, so it's a really good activity to help her."
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious virus causing lung and respiratory tract infections.
• A person infected with RSV spreads the virus in droplets when they cough, sneeze or talk.
• Very young children and premature babies can become very sick and may require hospitalisation. In this age group RSV can cause bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small breathing tubes of the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lung).
• Most adults and older children with RSV will experience symptoms similar to the common cold. But older adults, people with compromised immune systems and those with heart or lung conditions are also more at risk from RSV.
• Many children will be able to recover from this illness at home, but some will be admitted to hospital to support their feeding and to be given additional oxygen when that is needed.
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