This year's epidemic caused by the RS virus has been described as the worst in a long time by both epidemiologists and pediatricians.
Several children's wards in Sweden have been overloaded.
"So sick that they need respirator care"
At Skellefteå Hospital, the occupancy rate has been high and the situation very difficult.
Deborah Frithiof does not want to comment on how many children are hospitalized and how seriously ill they are.
- But they are so ill that they need respiratory care.
At the university hospital in Umeå, the situation has not been as serious.
But even there, it is expected that the pressure on care places will increase.
- It could be a completely different situation tomorrow, says Deborah Frithiof.
What have you done to prepare for increased pressure?
- We are preparing to be able to put children together in a multi-room when we know which virus they have and then we have also mobilized more breathing aids, which we have been able to borrow from covid care.
Keep the children at home
Right now, there is a huge pressure on the county's emergency departments linked to the RS virus.
According to Deborah Frithiof, many parents who go to the emergency rooms with relatively unaffected sniffing children, who want an assessment and who have a concern for RS.
- We want you to seek medical care when you know that the child is not feeling well and when it is very difficult, not for safety.
She appeals:
- What we want to achieve is that if you have a sibling who has a cold, keep all siblings at home from preschool if possible.
If you have infants at home and siblings at preschool, consider keeping them at home during this period.
But it looks different for different people what opportunities you have of course.
But you should not seek medical care for safety because you have a snotty baby, we just want the children who are bad to come here, she says.
SVT Nyheter Västerbotten has applied for managers at Skellefteå Hospital.