This Manitoba mom's baby was hospitalized with RSV. Now she's warning of the risk from the virus

When Breanne MacLennan's baby boy first got sick last May, it started with some congestion.

Next came trouble breathing. 

After three trips to the Winnipeg Children's Hospital emergency department came the news that Walker, only six weeks old at the time, would have to be admitted. 

"It was such a terrible time and a terrifying time," MacLennan said.

Walker was sick with RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. His older brother, who was just under two years old, was also very sick with the virus, but was able to recover at home. 

With Manitoba seeing what's been called an early spike of RSV cases, the Manitoba mom is sharing her family's story to raise awareness. She wants people to know what can seem like just a cold for some can be devastating for others — including newborn babies. 

Walker ended up in hospital for three days, said MacLennan. He was on oxygen and needed a feeding tube while he recovered. 

"The hospital staff is amazing, and they tell you, 'OK, Day 5 and 6 are the worst. You can do this, you can get through it,'" she said.

"You just wait for the worst to end and hope on Day 7 you're one of the lucky families that sees that spontaneous recovery and gets to go home." 

Respiratory viruses, including RSV and influenza, have led to an alarming surge in the number of sick kids at the Winnipeg children's emergency department in recent weeks. 

The department saw the busiest day it had in years on Nov. 13, with 201 patient visits in one day, according to a spokesperson from Manitoba Shared Health.

Dr. Jared Bullard, the section head of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba, expects the children's emergency department to remain busy over the next several months.

Bullard, who is part of the team that helps treat patients with complex infections at the hospital, said public health measures taken over the last few years to reduce the spread of COVID-19 also meant kids weren't getting sick with the viruses that normally circulate. 

"When you have your primary infection, or the first time you get it, you're going to be sicker," explained Bullard.