WAFP, WSMA, WCAAP Release Statement on Preventive Measures to Combat Surge in RSV Cases

WAFP, along the with the Washington State Medical Association and the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, released a joint statement urging the public to take precautions as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) spike throughout Washington.

Hospital emergency departments are frequently at capacity, and the problem is even worse at pediatric hospitals.

The statement urges the public to get vaccinated; wash your hands; keep high-touch surfaces clean; wear a mask in crowded indoor settings; have children stay at home if they show moderate signs of illness; and contact your primary care physician first if your child is sick, instead of heading straight for emergency care.

WAFP President Mark Johnson, MD, was interviewed by KIRO-7 TV in Seattle for a story on the RSV surge; see the full story here.

Note: Since publication, the Washington Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians has also signed on to the statement; the link above leads to the revised statement.