“Tipping point” feared as rising flu, COVID-19 add to RSV’s strain on Colorado hospitals

Clinics in the UCHealth system recorded 1,160 positive tests for influenza in the last week, which was a “huge jump” from 495 cases a week earlier, said Michelle Barron, the system’s senior medical director of infection prevention and control [and professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine].

Connie Price, chief medical officer at Denver Health [and professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine], said they’re working to hire traveling nurses with experience in pediatric intensive care units, to better manage the increased need. Since young children have very small airways, they’re vulnerable to breathing complications from RSV, and some need to be placed on ventilators, she said.