CNN —
Comedian and actress Amy Schumer has announced that her baby son, Gene, was admitted to the emergency room this week with RSV.
“This has been the toughest week of my life,” Schumer wrote in an Instagram post published Sunday. “Calling out to all parents who are going through this right now.”
The ordeal was made even more stressful because Schumer was set to host “Saturday Night Live.” She missed rehearsals for Thursday’s show because of his illness, she wrote.
“I had to be with him in the hospital all day and the wonderful people at @nbcsnl could not have been more supportive,” she said.
“Actually, the reason this show is so much fun isn’t because of the performance or the show itself. It’s about spending time with the people there. The cast and writers, of course, but the people behind the scenes who make it run smoothly are my favorites.”
“Thank you to everyone there and to the doctors and nurses who helped us,” she added.
Gene, Schumer’s 3-year-old son, is home now and doing better, according to her post.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, has been spreading rapidly in the United States this respiratory virus season.
Children are particularly affected, putting a significant strain on children’s hospitals as they continue to battle Covid-19 and other seasonal diseases, including the flu.
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RSV hospitalization rates have already reached levels not normally seen in the US until December.
The disease typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can also cause serious illness, particularly in older adults and infants.