Right now, many children come to the children's hospital's emergency and intensive care departments with various respiratory diseases – including the potentially dangerous RS virus that caught the University Hospital in Uppsala by surprise last year.
- We see that the curve is currently only pointing upwards, and we can't immediately say no to caring for a child who comes in with shortness of breath just because we don't have room, says Maria Lundgren, chief physician at the children's intensive care unit.
Expected to escalate over the Christmas holiday
But the peak has not yet been reached.
The wave is expected to be at its greatest around Christmas, when many of the staff go on long-awaited Christmas leave.
- To cope with that, we have prepared so-called escalation plans and brought in extra staff during the Christmas holiday.
Despite the preparations, however, the chief doctor urges to only come into the hospital if there is a real need.
In the clip: Hear the chief doctor answer the most common questions about the RS virus - including when it's time to seek emergency care.