© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hospitals in Albuquerque are crowded with pediatric RSV infections

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

OK, we saw this coming. Many hospitals are overwhelmed, again. This time it's because of simultaneous surges of the flu, RSV and other infections. And this time, many of the patients are kids. Here's Nash Jones with our member station KUNM in Albuquerque.

NASH JONES, BYLINE: University of New Mexico Children's Hospital, the state's only dedicated pediatric hospital, filled up in mid-October. COVID, parainfluenza and enterovirus are all contributing to the surge. This week, UNM Children's reached 119% capacity, and now the pediatric units at the state's other two largest hospitals are full, too.

JOHN PEDERSON: At Presbyterian, we are also running at and above capacity on a daily basis.

JONES: Dr. John Pederson is medical director of children's care at New Mexico's 450-bed Presbyterian Hospital. He says restrictions on kids during the pandemic are contributing to the surge now.

PEDERSON: With COVID, we have vaccines. We have a lot of community immunity. We kind of have this immunity gap when it comes to other viruses such as RSV and influenza.

JONES: New Mexico's three biggest hospitals are collaborating by sharing resources and making transfers - lessons they learned from COVID, says Dr. Vesta Sandoval, chief medical officer at Lovelace Health System.

VESTA SANDOVAL: We have a sort of playbook of how we can try to work together as our systems become stressed with increasing numbers of patients.

JONES: It's unclear how long the surge will last. Hospital officials are expecting modeling from the state Health Department later this week.

SANDOVAL: I do believe that over the winter it's going to become more difficult.

JONES: New Mexico has one of the lowest hospital capacities in the nation, which led several hospitals to activate crisis standards of care during a COVID surge last fall. They are not at that point at this time. Hospital officials are urging parents and guardians to care for children at home when appropriate, and encouraging masking, handwashing and vaccinations for the viruses that have one. There's not yet a vaccine for RSV.

For NPR News, I'm Nash Jones in Albuquerque. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Nash Jones

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.