One Shoals pediatrician told WAAY31 Covid is not letting up.
Pediatrician Wayne Melvin said his office has been inundated with Covid patients. Just this past weekend he had 5 patients in the hospital with Covid. He that's the most kids he's ever had hospitalized with the virus.
"We're running 10 to 20 positive cases a day, and we have the most in the hospital we've had since the beginning of this," said Melvin, of Tennessee Valley Pediatrics.
Melvin said last year Covid did not affect kids this badly.
"I had 5 in the hospital this weekend. One extremely sick who is now in the pediatric ICU," said Melvin.
Melvin said it's not just Covid. They are seeing huge numbers of RSV and flu.
"Normally August is our slow month and this is busier than any winter month we've ever had," said Melvin.
Melvin's practice, Tennessee Valley Pediatrics, works with Helen Keller Hospital.
The hospital doesn't have a pediatric intensive care unit, but lately they've had to treat kids there because there are no beds available for them elsewhere.
Melvin shared a situation he ran into with one of his patients who's sick with Covid.
"I had to keep him far longer at Keller than I would have liked. He was so sick and kept going downhill. It just got to the point where we couldn't keep him here any longer. All of the pediatric ICUs in the state are full right now. Luckily, (Wednesday) night Huntsville was able to get a bed open and we were able to send this child there," said Melvin.
Melvin said on Thursday that the child he had to send to Huntsville is still in the hospital but showing improvement.
Melvin said kids need to wear masks in school and anyone around a child needs to be vaccinated.
