With flu and RSV rampant, bed shortages causing young patients to be transferred to other hospitals

COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. – The flu is making so many children sick that some hospitals are running out of room and transferring patients to hospitals that have an open bed. 

The holiday season has been anything but merry for the Sundgaards in Cottage Grove. The family finally got out of the house Monday after viruses caused illness starting on Black Friday, especially for 5-year-old Tor.

"The next day we took him into the urgent care and found out he had not only influenza A but pneumonia," said father Sverre Sundgaard.

Tor also caught RSV. A week later, his breathing became difficult and his parents decided to take him to the hospital.

"Then they had to ambulance him, transfer him to [Gillette Children's hopsital] because they didn't have any ICU beds at [Children's Minnesota hospital]," he said.  

"When we got to the hospital and they were like, 'We don't have beds for him,' that was scary," said mother Ania Sundgaard.

Tor spent five days in the hospital on oxygen before he began to feel better. The rest of the family also caught the flu or had flu-like symptoms.

"Early intervention and early diagnosis can really make a difference in disease course," said Dr. Madeline Gagnon, vice chief of staff at Gillette Children's.

Dr. Gagnon said while the latest data shows flu cases taking a slight dip, flu season is still ahead of schedule and it's not over yet.

"I think continued observance over how to keep yourself healthy, get good rest, eating a healthy diet, getting your vaccines, you know, when you're sick stay home, will be important I think through March or April," she said.

It's not too late to get a flu shot ahead of the holidays, though it does take about two weeks to build full immunity. Doctors say having some protection is better than none.