Southern hospitals were yesterday treating 30 cases of respiratory illness, which include the highly infectious disease RSV.
However, there was no sign viral winter illness had reached its peak, Southern District Health Board chief medical officer Nigel Millar said.
Much of New Zealand has been swept by the respiratory syncytial virus, an illness which can be fatal and to which infants and children are especially vulnerable.
Dr Millar said some of the respiratory illness cases in southern hospitals included people with RSV, but not all patients were tested to see if they had the disease, unless there was a clinical reason to do so.
"This [RSV] remains a concern, and it does not appear this virus has peaked in our communities.
"We urge parents and caregivers with sick children who have a cold or cough to keep them warm at home and to seek medical attention if they get worse."
Southland Hospital had the greatest number of local cases — 17 — which included 10 children in its paediatric ward.
Dunedin Hospital was caring for 11 children with respiratory illness, all in the paediatric ward, and Lakes District Hospital had two children admitted.
Dr Millar urged people not to visit hospitals if they had moderate illnesses.
Northern hospitals have been swamped with respiratory cases this winter, as winter ailments rarely seen last year due to Covid-19 lockdowns make a return.
Prof Graham Le Gros, of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, said the fact some hospital wards and emergency departments had been overwhelmed by respiratory illness cases was a wake-up call.
"It gives us clear-eyed insight of what a Covid-19 outbreak in the community would look like in New Zealand.
"We need to do everything we can to support safe RSV vaccine development as soon as possible, so that future generations of mums and dads do not have to face the terror of this infection in their little babies."
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Interesting to contrast how NZ society is reacting to RSV (crickets) vs. COVID (panic). They're very similar, both lacking vaccines until recently (and there's still none for RSV). Both can hosptialise and kill people; but for the vast majority of otherwise healthy people, it's bedrest and a hot lemon honey. Not a peep of a suggestion of closing us down for RSV, so perhaps I should be thankful.