Pediatric clinics in Brownsville are busy as doctors say more children are being treated for the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

Pediatrician Dr. Asim Zamir said 80% of his patients have been testing positive for RSV for nearly two weeks.

Most of the patients have been having trouble breathing, and others are coming in with fever.

“The lobby is full, we're spending long hours at the clinic even after closing the door,” Zamir said. “We're having so many patients we're staying open two to three hours [later.]”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms in most people, but is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the U.S.

Zamir said he's admitting up to four children a day to a hospital for treatment.

“So we're turning them around, getting them better and getting them out — and the new ones are coming right after them, “Zamir said,

Zamir is also the chief of pediatrics at Valley Baptist Medical Center: Brownsville, and the chief of staff at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. He said the pediatric floor at both hospitals have been at capacity for 10 days, and most of the patients are sick with RSV.

Because Brownsville doesn't have their own pediatric ICU, some patients are being transported outside of the city for treatment.

“They require a higher level of care, they require an intensive care unit where there is a breathing machine,” Zamir said. 

With the holiday season approaching, Zamir is reminding parents to wash their hands and their child's hands frequently, and mask up when possible.

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