Don’t Go Viral This Season: Winter Illnesses

The winter season is here. We want parents to feel well-prepared for the range of viruses and illnesses that tend to peak during this time. From the flu to stomach viruses, understanding the symptoms and appropriate care can help you feel more at ease and prepared this season. In this guide, we’ll break down key information on common winter illnesses and offer helpful tips to keep your family healthy and happy during this holiday season!

General Best Practices:

Wash hands regularly – help teach your children to wash their hands frequently and properly
Get vaccinations to help protect against certain illnesses
Cover coughs and sneezes
Disinfect toys, electronics, and communal objects
Eat healthy and exercise regularly
Drink plenty of water
Avoid people who are ill – it is totally acceptable to cancel plans with people who are sick when you have children
Prioritize sleep – sleep is crucial for good health, so just like adults, children need their sleep

Winter Illnesses:

INFLUENZA A & B

Symptoms can include:
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Fever
- More muscle pain, headache, fever, and chills than with usual colds
- The onset is more abrupt, and the symptoms are more severe than those of the common cold
Care Advice: For a runny nose with lots of discharge, have your child blow their nose or use a suction device. Avoid cold or cough medications in young children; they are not approved by the FDA for use in children under 6 years. Antibiotics are not helpful for flu or other viruses. Try to get your child to drink lots of fluids. Sip warm fluids such as chicken broth or apple juice to soothe a sore throat, or some children prefer popsicles or ice cream. Use Tylenol or Motrin (for children over 6 months old) for fevers or pain.
Testing: Lab test at a scheduled sick visit with your Parkside Pediatrics provider.
Follow up: Call us if your child has any breathing difficulties, retractions, dehydration, earache or sinus pain, fever that lasts more than 3 days, or if you have any further concerns.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

RSV is a viral infection of the smallest airways in the lungs. Wheezing is the main symptom.
Symptoms can include:
- Wheezing
- Rapid breathing (over 40 breaths per minute)
- Tight breathing (having to push the air out)
- Coughing, fever, and a runny nose often precede breathing problems.
Care Advice: Breathe in warm mist. Give warm, clear fluids to drink. Only give breastmilk or formula to children under six months of age. Nasal saline to open a blocked nose. Use a humidifier in your home, as dry air makes coughs worse. Use small, frequent feedings whenever your child has the energy to drink. Offer enough fluids to prevent dehydration.
Testing: Respiratory panel lab tests can be completed at a scheduled sick visit with your Parkside Pediatrics provider.
Follow up: Call us if your child has any trouble breathing, if wheezing gets worse, if the fever lasts more than 3 days, or if you have any further concerns.

COVID-19

Symptoms can include:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fever or chills
- Loss of taste or smell
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Runny nose
- Less common symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Care Advice:
- Treat the symptoms that are the most bothersome:
  - Nasal saline to open a blocked nose
  - For fevers greater than 102, you may use acetaminophen or ibuprofen (over 6 months of age)
  - Offer cool fluids in unlimited amounts to prevent dehydration (Only give breastmilk or formula to children under six months of age)
  - Offer warm fluids to help with a sore throat
  - Gently massage any sore muscles, and apply heat (a heating pad or a warm, wet washcloth) for 10 min 3 times daily
  - Follow CDC recommendations regarding isolation protocols.
- Testing: A respiratory panel can be completed during a scheduled sick visit with your Parkside Pediatrics provider.
- Follow up: Call us if your child has any trouble breathing or if you have any further concerns.

STREP THROAT

Strep Throat is a bacterial infection of the throat caused by the streptococcus virus.
Symptoms can include:
- Pain, discomfort, or a raw feeling in the throat (pain is made worse when swallowing)
- Fever
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Rash on the child’s trunk
- Throat may be bright red with swollen tonsils, often covered in pus
Care Advice: Strep infections need a prescription for an antibiotic. Give antibiotics as directed. For sore throat pain relief, offer warm fluids such as chicken broth or apple juice (or some prefer ice cream or popsicles). Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (over 6 months old) can help relieve pain. Offer plenty of fluids, and your child may prefer a soft diet. Strep throat responds quickly to antibiotics. The fever is typically gone within 24 hours, and the child may begin feeling better by 48 hours.
Testing: A strep lab test can be completed at a scheduled sick visit with your Parkside Pediatrics provider.
Follow up: Call us if the fever lasts more than three days or if you have any further concerns.

HAND-FOOT-MOUTH DISEASE

HFM is a viral infection that causes mouth sores (ulcers) and tiny blisters or red spots on the hands and feet.
Symptoms Include:
- Small, painful sores in the mouth (on the tongue, sides of the mouth, and back of the throat)
- Mouth sores and pain when eating often precede the rash on the hands by a day or so
- Small, thick-walled water blisters or red spots on the palms, soles, fingers, and toes
- Low-grade fever of less than 102
Care Advice: Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids to help with hydration. Cold drinks such as milkshakes, popsicles, slushes, and sherbet are good choices. Offer a soft diet such as mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, cereals with milk, and ice cream. Fluid intake is more important than eating any solids. For pain relief or fevers greater than 102, you can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen (for children over 6 months of age). Blisters don’t need any special treatment. You can wash them like normal skin. If blisters open, they are contagious to others, but they quickly dry out. Fever can last 2-3 days, mouth ulcers should begin resolving by 7 days, and the rash on the hands and feet should begin resolving by 10 days (but you may see peeling on the hands and feet).
Testing: Lab test not required for this illness. Treatment of symptoms at home is recommended.
Follow up: Call us if your child has any signs of dehydration, a fever lasting more than 3 days, or any further concerns.

STOMACH VIRUS (Vomiting with Diarrhea)

A viral infection of the stomach and intestines causes most vomiting with diarrhea.
Symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
Care Advice: For children over 1 year of age, offer small amounts of Oral Rehydration Solution for 8 hours. If a child is vomiting with watery diarrhea, they need ORS (such as Pedialyte). The key to success is giving small amounts of fluid. Offer 2-3 teaspoons (10-15 mL) every 5 minutes. Older kids can slowly sip ORS. After 4 hours without vomiting, increase the amount. After 8 hours without vomiting, resume regular fluids. Avoid fruit juices and soft drinks (they make diarrhea worse). Avoid solid foods until 8 hours without vomiting. Start introducing starchy foods that are easy to digest (such as cereals, crackers, and bread).
Testing: Lab test not required for this virus. Treatment of symptoms at home is recommended.
Follow up: Call us if your child vomits all clear fluids for more than 8 hours, vomiting lasts more than 24 hours, blood or bile in the vomit, stomach pain is present even when not vomiting, dehydration suspected (no urine in over 8 hours; dark urine; very dry mouth; and no tears), diarrhea becomes severe, or if you have any further concerns.

COMMON COLD VIRUS

Symptoms can include:
- Runny or stuffy nose (the nasal discharge starts clear but changes to gray (can also be yellow or green))
- Fever
- Sore Throat
- Cough and develop a hoarse voice
- Watery eyes
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Care Advice: For a runny nose with increased discharge, we recommend that the child blow their nose or have their nose suctioned if needed. Nasal saline can help open a blocked nose. Offer an increased amount of fluids. Use a humidifier if the air in your home is dry. Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen (over 6 months of age) for fever greater than 102 or pain.
Testing: Lab test not required for this virus. Treatment of symptoms at home is recommended.
Follow up: Call us if your child has any signs of trouble breathing, an earache, fever lasting more than 3 days or above 104 degrees, nasal discharge lasting more than 14 days, cough lasting more than 3 weeks, or if you have any further concerns.