![]() ![]() Children were kept out of schools and nurseries for weeks or months on end. ![]() When Covid-19 rampaged across the world, many countries introduced strict lockdowns to thwart transmission of the virus. "Everyone is concerned, obviously, because older children tolerate this virus quite well – why were they not?" she says. Plus, antibiotics have no effect on viruses such as RSV. Superbugs created by antibiotics overuse have posed a particular threat to newborns, highlighting the need to use antibiotics with caution. The step of giving preventative antibiotics, for example to protect children in the midst of a strep A outbreak at their school or nursery, needs to be carefully considered, doctors say, to avoid encouraging antibiotic resistance. Making sure your children's vaccinations are up to date can also protect them from a wide range of diseases – including the flu and many highly contagious and potentially dangerous diseases such as measles and polio. Parents are advised to use tissues to help their children catch coughs or sneezes, then discard the used tissues as soon as possible and wash their hands with soap and warm water to stop the spread. They also recommend being careful not to share potentially contaminated cups, towels or other items. The NHS and other health authorities recommend washing your hands with soap for 20 seconds to help stop the spread of viruses and bacteria, including strep A and RSV. Here's what doctors and health authorities say parents can do to keep children safe and healthy in the winter. RSV, strep A (which can cause scarlet fever), the flu and other illnesses and infections are resurging among children, after having been mostly suppressed during the Covid-19 lockdowns. In this age group, RSV would usually appear as a cold-like illness, with a runny nose and cough. RSV typically hits the youngest children hardest but the patients Agha and her colleagues have treated lately tend to be approaching school age, around three or four years old. Some of the children there have been put on mechanical ventilators to help them breathe. "We've had to double the capacity of our ICU," she says, referring to the intensive care unit, reserved for the sickest patients. Now, in the early autumn months of 2022, it was back again. There was a wave last autumn – and an unexpected one in spring this year. An outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – a winter virus that can feel like a common cold in adults, but which can be dangerous for some young children. ![]() In her role as director of the paediatric infectious diseases division at Maimonides Children's Hospital in New York, she had seen this before. As child after child gasping for air was admitted to the hospital, Rabia Agha gritted her teeth. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |