RSV outbreak: Seven children in Wellington's ICU

There are seven children with RSV in Wellington Hospital's ICU. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The outbreak of respiratory illness continues to grip the capital, with 33 children with RSV and respiratory-type illnesses in Wellington Regional Hospital on Wednesday.

Seven of this number are in ICU.

The updated figures were provided on Wednesday morning by Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs, who are continuing to see increasing numbers of people with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

In Hutt Hospital there are 18 children with RSV or respiratory-type illness and none in ICU.

The health boards said they were also seeing many adults admitted to hospital with respiratory-type illness, often in addition to a different underlying health need.

The two DHBs were continuing to restrict visitation at both Wellington Regional and Hutt Valley hospitals, asking children under 12 to not visit unless there was a clear medical need.

As a result of this outbreak, the two DHBs are restricting visitation to protect vulnerable patients.

In Wellington Hospital's NICU, only parents and caregivers are permitted to visit, and in Wards 1 and 2 no one under 16 is permitted. Only two people are allowed to support an ED patient.

Children under 12 are not permitted in ED, maternity and delivery wards, Wards 4 and 5 North or the Acute Frailty Unit.

In Hutt Hospital no one under 16 is permitted in the children's ward, and no one under 12 in ED, SCBU maternity and delivery.

What is RSV?

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract.

• It's so common that most children have been infected with the virus by age 2, but it can also infect adults.

• Symptoms are usually mild and typically mimic a common cold but they cause a severe infection in babies - especially premature infants and elderly or those with weak immune systems.