Source:https://www.wlwt.com/
Doctors are alerting to a rise in contagious viruses as children return to school this fall. A recent COVID variant caused an unexpected late summer spike in cases. Virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz from Johns Hopkins notes that the increase in cases is surprising, especially with the school season starting. Besides COVID, other viruses such as RSV and the flu are also expected to rise, and distinguishing between these illnesses based solely on symptoms can be challenging.
Doctors emphasize that overlapping symptoms like fatigue and fever make it hard to differentiate between viruses such as COVID, RSV, and the flu without proper testing. They advise contacting a healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis or using at-home tests. Dr. Pekosz suggests stocking up on tests to accurately determine if a child has a respiratory infection.
Experts recommend using personal protective equipment, such as masks, practicing social distancing, and staying home when sick to help prevent the spread of viruses. These measures are especially important for high-risk groups and can significantly reduce virus transmission, according to Dr. Pekosz.
The FDA has approved an updated COVID vaccine for the latest variants, which will soon be available and can be administered alongside the flu vaccine. The RSV vaccine is currently offered to older adults, at-risk individuals, and pregnant people.
Read More:https://childreninfobank.com/safebank/doctors-warn-of-covid-rsv-and-flu-as-kids-return-to-school/
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