Hogan Warns Of Flu, COVID-19 Surges In MD As RSV Cases Fill ICUs

ANNAPOLIS, MD — With influenza cases in Maryland higher than they’ve been at this time of the year in more than a decade, Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday took steps to have hospitals beef up pediatric intensive care staffing, and urged residents to get their COVID-19 and flu shots simultaneously.

Federal health officials underscored fears that hospitals in Maryland and nationwide will be overwhelmed by a “tripledemic” of flu, COVID-19 and the respiratory illness known as RSV that targets children.

Flu hospitalizations are increasing earlier and faster than in previous years, state health officials said, along with a surge in RSV admissions of children. Hogan announced a series of new mitigation actions, along with preparedness efforts for potential fall and winter COVID-19 and flu surges in Maryland.

“After meeting with our multi-agency public health task force yesterday and reviewing all of the data, I am announcing these steps to give our hospitals more tools to expand bed capacity for pediatric patients,” Hogan said in a statement. “We also continue to encourage Marylanders to be COVIDReady, so that we remain one of the most vaccinated and boosted states, and stay ahead of the virus.”

Flu activity throughout Maryland is high, according to the CDC weekly surveillance report.

In the state, 39 percent of flu patients are infants to 4 years old; another 38 percent are 5 to 24 years old; and 15 percent are age 25 to 49 years old, the Maryland Department of Public Health said.

The CDC said 4,141 flu cases were reported in Maryland as of Wednesday.

Flu practically vanished over the past couple of years as people wore face masks and stayed out of crowded places to avoid COVID-19, which has killed more than 1 million people since early 2020. In the past week, 265,893 people in the United States have tested positive and 19,454 were hospitalized with COVID-19.

In Maryland, COVID cases have hovered around 7 percent positivity in recent works. On Friday, the Maryland COVID dashboard showed a total of 1,267,740 confirmed cases, an increase of 859 in the past 24 hours. The positivity rate was 7.05 percent, a one-tenth increase in the past day.

A total of 15,276 Marylanders have died from COVID; 11 in the last 24 hours.

Official said 435 COVID patients are currently hospitalized, down seven in the last day.

The CDC report comes as children’s hospitals across the country are seeing a rise in RSV cases. Cases of respiratory syncytial virus, as the common childhood illness is officially known, also plummeted during the first two years of the pandemic, but doctors now report an alarming increase in what is normally a fall and winter virus.

In Maryland, 33 percent of those tested for RSV have been positive for the virus.

“The data are ominous,” William Schaffner, medical director for the nonprofit National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor of infectious diseases at that Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told The Washington Post.

“Not only is flu early, it also looks very severe,” he said. “This is not just a preview of coming attractions. We’re already starting to see this movie. I would call it a scary movie.”

Steps Maryland is taking to tackle the three viruses include:

Hospitals Directed to Use State Funding to Prioritize Pediatric ICU Staffing. RSV hospitalizations are increasing earlier and more rapidly than in previous years, with the 0-2 age group comprising 57 percent of hospitalizations. On Oct. 14, the Maryland Department of Health announced $80 million in additional funding for healthcare providers across the state. Hospitals will receive $25 million and on Friday were directed to use these resources to increase the hiring and recruitment of staff. For facilities with pediatric ICU and/or inpatient beds, awards should prioritize staffing those units appropriately before considering other non-pediatric units. All hospitals are also strongly urged to collaborate with neighboring hospitals on pediatric patient care coordination.

Critical Care Coordination Center Expanded to Include Pediatric Surge Operations.To help mitigate an increase in hospital admissions, particularly among children experiencing RSV, rhinovirus, or enterovirus D68, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems will expand its Critical Care Coordination Center capability to include pediatric surge operations. This action will optimize existing capacity, increase statewide capacity of pediatric ICU beds, and facilitate the transfer of pediatric patients to available beds in Maryland hospitals and Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

State Continues Joint COVID-19/Flu Shot Campaign. Earlier this month, state officials expanded COVIDReady Maryland, the state’s long-term preparedness plan, by adding the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster shot for residents five years old and older. In addition, adults now have the option of receiving a Novavax monovalent booster if they have not previously received a booster and if they cannot or will not receive mRNA vaccines.

To date, more than 710,000 Marylanders have received the COVID-19 bivalent booster, protecting themselves against severe illness, hospitalization, and death, Hogan's office said. Starting next week, state health officials will launch a new “Flooster” television, radio, and social media ad campaign to amplify this message.

More than 900 providers across the state can administer the vaccinations. Some locations offer both COVID-19 and flu shots during the same visit. Find a vaccination clinic near you.

Enhanced Awareness and Outreach. The state’s GoVAX Call Center (1-855-MD-GOVAX) continues to be available seven days a week. In addition to providing a number of services for help with getting tested and boosted, the call center is launching a texting campaign focused on preventing COVID-19, flu, and RSV.