CNN
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These days, sniffling, sneezing, and coughing can often set off alarm bells in families with small children.
Vicky Leung, mother of two, says her children, ages 4 and 2, sometimes go a month or two without bringing anything home from daycare. Then there’s the time when a family in Aurora, Colorado, seems to be sniffing the virus every other week.
“Once it hits, we’re only for a while,” she said.
Many children have been practicing social distancing for years to protect themselves from Covid-19. respiratory virus RSV — Can cause runny nose, loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing.
Viral infections are always common. Almost all children get RSV at some point before she is two years old. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Say. Also, immunity developed after infection often weakens over time, and it is possible to have multiple infections in a lifetime, says Professor of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. William Schaffner said:
The public health challenge this year is that many children have been quarantined while staying home to protect themselves from Covid-19. Infections from RSV mean more people are now getting the first, and therefore most serious, infection, said CNN medical analyst, The Milken Institute of Public Health, The George Washington University. Leana Wen, Ph.D., undergraduate emergency physician and professor of health policy and management.
While RSV infections are often mild, they can be a cause for concern for young infants, children with underlying medical conditions, and the elderly, said Schaffner, who is also the medical director of the National Infectious Diseases Foundation.
That doesn’t mean it’s time to panic, Wen added. “Lifeline: A Physician’s Journey in the Battle for Public Health”. Getting RSV and other viral and bacterial infections is part of how children grow and develop their immune systems.
Here’s how to assess when to keep your child home from school and when to visit your pediatrician, according to experts.
Between colds, flu, strep throat, RSV and lingering Covid-19, many infections swirl this winter, often very similar in terms of symptoms. Even, he added, the patient might be indistinguishable when he’s in the office.
However, pediatricians are well-trained and well-equipped to treat upper respiratory tract infections, even though they cannot accurately distinguish which virus or bacteria is responsible.
Whatever virus or bacterium is causing a stuffy nose, headache, or sore throat in your home, your child’s age, symptoms, and health are likely to change how you act.
Ideally, public health experts would like to see symptomatic children not sent to schools or day care, Schaffner said, where they could spread the infection. For single parents and caregivers Who needs to work – it’s not always the most practical advice, he added.
He added that home testing could show whether a child has Covid-19. not.
Symptoms that may really indicate it’s time to keep your child home from school or daycare include high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lack of sleep and trouble breathing, Wen said. .
Donna Mazyck, a registered nurse and executive director of the National Association of School Nurses, divides her main considerations into two.
Families should also check school guidelines. Some of them detail when children should be out of school, while others rely more on her parent’s judgment, she said.
“When in doubt, consult your school’s policy and make a plan with your pediatrician,” Wen said.
Also, for children at high risk due to other medical conditions, consult a pediatrician before your child becomes ill so you know what to look for.
Again, schools have different policies here, and it will be important to review written information, the school administrator or school nurse said.
“Schools generally require that children be fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medications.” classroom, she said.
It may not be reasonable for children with asthma or allergies to miss school every time they show symptoms of coughing or nasal congestion.
Also, symptoms such as persistent coughing may persist even after the infection has cleared and the child has recovered. In such cases, returning the child to school may be appropriate, Mazyck said, reiterating the importance of checking the school’s guidelines.
Families are often good at taking their children to the pediatrician when they think they’re not feeling well, Schaffner said. With so much going on, it’s important for doctors to remind families to see a sick child sooner rather than later, he added.
Parents and caregivers may also be justified in taking their child to a pediatrician for medical attention if the child appears lethargic, has stopped eating, or has trouble breathing. Especially if symptoms worsen.
“This is not something they should hold back,” he said.
For younger babies and infants, when they have trouble getting fluids, when their diapers are dry, when their nostrils are dilated, when they have difficulty breathing, when their breasts need to expand. If you have contractions, it may be time to go to the emergency room.
Families should seek emergency care for school-aged children who have difficulty breathing or speaking in complete sentences. Schaffner said he would recover in a few days after returning home.
“Parents should know that treating RSV and other respiratory infections is a mainstay of pediatricians and emergency physicians,” said Wen. “This is what we do.”
Teach your children to use the hygiene practices promoted by health professionals to prevent these respiratory diseases. Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer when the sink isn’t available, point your coughs and sneezes into your elbow or a tissue, and don’t share food or utensils with friends long before the pandemic.
No vaccine for RSV has yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but effective vaccines are available for influenza and Covid-19, Schaffner said.
If your child has not yet been vaccinated, talk to your doctor about protecting your child from these viruses.
