The Perfect Enemy | Mass. pediatricians seeing increase in sick children, and it’s not just COVID-19

Mass. pediatricians seeing increase in sick children, and it’s not just COVID-19

>> LOCAL PEDIATRICIANS ARE SEEING MORE KIDS WITH A COUGH AND IT’S NOT JUST FROM COVID-19. RHONDELLA: HERE IS TO EXPLAIN IS THE DOCTOR, CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN. THE LATEST STATE DATA. COVID IS INCREASING ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE 10 TO 19 YEARS OF AGE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE OTHER VIRUSES CIRCULATING RIGHT NOW? >> SO, THERE ARE OTHER VIRUSES THAT PRIMARILY CAUSE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND CAN CAUSE SOMETIMES GI SYMPTOMS AND OTHER ISSUES, WE’RE SEEING ADENOVIRUS, RHINO VIRUS WHICH CAUSES THE COMMON COLDS AND THE RETRO VIRUS, AN EARLIER PRESENCE, YOU KNOW, THIS SEASON. RHONDELLA: MOST PARENTS ARE USED TO CARING FOR SICK CHILDREN AT HOME, BUT KNOWING WHAT YOU DO ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT VIRUSES, WHAT ARE THE SIZE SIGNS FOR PARENTS TO BRING THEM TO THE DOCTOR OR EVEN THE E.R. >> FOR HEALTHY KIDS, THE WARNING SIGNS OF INCREASED WORK OF BREATHING, FOR LITTLE ONES, FLARING NOSTRILS, TUGGING BELOW THE RIDGES, DEHYDRATION AND BRINGING THEM. AND IF THERE’S AN UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITION THAT WOULD MAKE THINGS WORSE, A REMATURE BABY IS HIGHER FOR COMPLI COMPLICATIONS, AND THOSE UNDER TWO AT HIGHER RISK OF INFLUENZA COMPLICATIONS AND WITH COVID, UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS CAN MAKE COMPLICATIONS WORSE AS WELL. SO IF YOUR CHILD DOES HAVE AN UNDERLYING MEDICAL ISSUE OR BASED ON AGE, IT WOULD BE AT HIGHER RISK, ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO CALL, SAYING, DO WE NEED TO BE CHECKED OUT A LITTLE BIT SOONER? IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF ANTI-VIRAL THERAPY, KNOWING FOR INFLUENZA AND COVID-19 THERE ARE ANTI-VIRALS AVAILABLE IN CERTAIN CASES. >> AND DOCTOR, WHAT ABOUT THE TIMING OF THIS ALL? MOST PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND SO SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE AN INCREASE IN INFECTIONS? ARE SOME VIRUSES SURGING EARLIER THAN USUAL? >> YES, SO, I THINK IF IT’S TWO-FOLD. YES, WE’RE DEFINITELY SEEING DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF CIRCULATION AND WE’RE SEEING VIRUSES START EARLIER IN THE RESPIRATORY VIRAL SEASON WHICH IS NOW, SUMMER AND NOT JUST LATE FALL, WINTER, LIKE WE NORMALLY THINK ABOUT. SO WE’RE SEEING MORE VIRUSES OCCURRING AROUND THE SAME TIME BECAUSE SOME ARE STARTING EARLIER AND OTHERS ARE LASTING LONGER, AND ET CETERA, SO WE’RE SEEING DIFFERENT PATTERNS DURING THE PANDEMIC OF OTHER VIRUS CIRCULATION, AND THEN OF COURSE, IT’S A BREEDING GROUND BECAUSE KIDS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL AND CLOSE QUARTERS WITH THE WEATHER COOLING DOWN, INCLEMENT WEATHER INCREASING, PEOPLE ARE INDOORS MO

Mass. pediatricians seeing increase in sick children, and it’s not just COVID-19

Massachusetts pediatricians are seeing more kids with a cough, and it’s not just from COVID-19.The latest Massachusetts health data shows COVID infections are increasing, especially for those 10 to 19 years of age, but Dr. Vandana Madhavan, the clinical director of pediatric infectious disease at Mass General Hospital for Children, says other viruses are also circulating right now.”There are other viruses that primarily cause respiratory symptoms…sometimes GI symptoms,” Madhavan said. “We’re seeing adenovirus, rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, RSV… which is having a little bit of an earlier presence this season,” Madhavan said. Madhavan said health officials are seeing different patterns of circulation. “We’re seeing viruses start earlier in the respiratory viral season, which is now the summer, not just late fall or winter like we normally think about,” Madhavan said. “We’re seeing more viruses occurring around the same time because some are starting earlier. Others are lasting longer.””It’s a perfect breeding ground because kids are back in school, they’re back in close quarters with the weather cooling down,” Madhavan said. “People are indoors more often and able to spread viruses more easily as well.”

BOSTON —

Massachusetts pediatricians are seeing more kids with a cough, and it’s not just from COVID-19.

The latest Massachusetts health data shows COVID infections are increasing, especially for those 10 to 19 years of age, but Dr. Vandana Madhavan, the clinical director of pediatric infectious disease at Mass General Hospital for Children, says other viruses are also circulating right now.

“There are other viruses that primarily cause respiratory symptoms…sometimes GI symptoms,” Madhavan said.

“We’re seeing adenovirus, rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, RSV… which is having a little bit of an earlier presence this season,” Madhavan said.

Madhavan said health officials are seeing different patterns of circulation.

“We’re seeing viruses start earlier in the respiratory viral season, which is now the summer, not just late fall or winter like we normally think about,” Madhavan said. “We’re seeing more viruses occurring around the same time because some are starting earlier. Others are lasting longer.”

“It’s a perfect breeding ground because kids are back in school, they’re back in close quarters with the weather cooling down,” Madhavan said. “People are indoors more often and able to spread viruses more easily as well.”