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Local day care weighs in on safety as RSV cases surge in Arizona

Timeless Play day care
Posted at 10:23 AM, Dec 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-01 12:23:32-05

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For the staff at Timeless Play, no two days are the same.

"The best part is playing with the kids," Alanna McDonald, the day care's director, said. "We get to meet new kids and families."

Since Timeless Play opened last year, there is one thing that has remained constant.

"Cleaning and sanitizing has always been a part of the process because even before covid we were getting the flu and things like that," she said.

As RSV cases continue to rise across Arizona with about 99% of pediatric hospital beds full. El Rio Health Center's Pediatric Medical Director Rajiv Modak encourages patients to contact their primary care provider before heading to the hospital.

"One of the ways we can help with this is by having the parent contact your primary care provider before heading to the hospital," he said. "We will fit kids in that need to be scene and stretch our capacity."

Right now, he said there is no vaccine for RSV but he encourages families to get their COVID and flu vaccine.

"It's really the younger infants, especially those younger than six months that tend to have more difficulty," he said. "So really sometimes it's just about supportive care like making sure they are hydrated and making sure they aren't having breathing issues."

At the day care, McDonald said they haven't seen many cases because kids usually stay home when they are sick.

"We've had some that think they had rsv and it turned into ear infections or other things," she said. "I don't think it has wiped us out or gone through the whole center but it's definitely there."
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