Durbin Highlights Strains On Families, Hospitals From Current RSV Surge
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the dramatic new surge in Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)—a respiratory virus that can be especially serious for young children and older adults. During his speech, Durbin called on Congress to provide the resources to get us safely through this current surge, including to address the workforce shortages faced by children’s hospitals. He also highlighted an Illinois pediatrician, who had to travel an hour to Springfield from Mount Zion, to get her sick baby the care she needed. “As a parent, there is no more terrifying or helpless feeling than knowing that your young baby is seriously ill,” said Durbin. “I know. I lived it… If a pediatrician has to struggle to find hospital care for her own sick infant, imagine the panic and fear other parents feel when their babies are struggling to breathe because of RSV.” “RSV isn’t just