DANVILLE, Pa. — Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Montour County is currently at capacity, but children are constantly coming and going.
According to Geisinger, about 15 percent of pediatric beds at nearby facilities did not reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, and Geisinger is seeing that overflow.
"We do have the opportunity to use adult beds when we have to do that, and also just the efficiency, getting youngsters home quickly so we always have that capacity to take another youngster," said Dr. Frank Maffei, Geisinger's chair of pediatrics.
Geisinger and other health centers in our region are seeing an influx of children with respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, flu, and RSV. That's in addition to normal sicknesses and surgeries.
"There's a lot of other illnesses that at times require a short hospitalization, but unfortunately, other times require a longer hospitalization, and that adds to the capacity crunch," Dr. Maffei said.
When it comes to COVID-19, over the last two months, adults testing positive have more than doubled at Geisinger. As for children, on October 13, four children had tested positive for COVID. This week, the number of positive tests jumped to 37.
Dr. Maffei says prevention is key.
"Let's keep them out of the hospital, but when they do have to come into the hospital, let's get them in, take great care of them, let's keep them safe, and let's get them home as quickly as possible," Dr. Maffei said.
Dr. Maffei encourages parents to protect their children from seasonal viruses by keeping them home when sick and washing their hands.
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