CLEVELAND — If you have little ones at home, it's likely your kids have already been sick with a fever, runny, stuffy nose and cough this fall.
Right now, there's a nationwide surge in respiratory illnesses in children.
The CDC says hospitals across the United States are seeing more than twice as many cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, per week than this time last year, and more of those cases are severe.
Hospitals in Northeast Ohio are experiencing a similar surge. MetroHealth told us they're seeing a surge of children younger than 18 presenting with RSV — up about 500% from last month.
The doctors at Greater Cleveland Pediatrics said the number of kids sick with respiratory viruses right now is usually seen in peak months mid-winter like in January and February.
"It was scary, but I think we're through it and can start to relax a little more," said Tricia West. Her 6-week-old baby Sloane was recently hospitalized for five days with RSV.
Sloane was sleeping comfortably in her mother's arms as Tricia talked about the frightening ordeal. She believes Sloane got the virus from her older siblings. For them, it was just a cold, but for Sloane, born several weeks early, the virus posed a more serious threat.
"As soon as you could see her whole chest pulling in trying to get that breath, that was really scary," said West. "So, we took a little video and sent it in to Dr. Keili and she said, 'Yep, it's time.'"
Dr. Keili Mistovich is Sloane's pediatrician. She says Sloane's tiny, more vulnerable airways are at a higher risk for severe complications from RSV.
"With this particular virus, it tends to go into the small airways within the lungs, and so when you cause inflammation and swelling of small airways, then that means there is less room for oxygen to get into the body," explained Mistovich.
West said Sloane received oxygen and IV fluids while in the hospital. She said they were well cared for and not alone. She said there were families like hers everywhere.
"Everywhere," she said. "The floors were full."
Mistovich and her partner in the practice, Dr. Allie Effron, said they're seeing a ton of RSV right now — levels more typical in January or February.
It is not just RSV. Flu is picking up, COVID is still around and there are a lot of other viruses circulating too.
Effron said they don't know exactly why it's such an earlier and heavier respiratory season.
"People have been speculating it is because kids were out of school, or more masked for a couple years as a possibility, but we really don't know, and there's probably a lot of factors that play into it," said Effron.
The doctors said something else they've noticed this season is that their older, more elementary-age patients are getting hit with back-to-back viruses.
"It seems like these viruses last a little bit longer and we're seeing more secondary bacterial infections like ear infections, like pneumonia or sinus infections that are tagging on to the end of these viruses," said Mistovich.
So, what should parents look out for?
The doctors say fevers are normal and a sign of a healthy immune system fighting back.
They tell parents to focus on a child’s breathing and hydration. If your child appears to be struggling to breathe, get them in right away.
"Are they breathing faster than normal? Are they breathing heavier than normal? Are they using all those extra lung muscles to get those breaths in, and are they having any feeding difficulty?" Effron said.
She said these are red flags, especially in the youngest and most vulnerable patients like Sloane.
"Trust your instincts," said West. "Pay attention. You know your child best. If you're second-guessing anything, reach out to your doctor right away and make sure they're seen."
The doctors said most viruses present with similar symptoms: fever, cough, and congestion are all typical and last anywhere from 2-5 days. They said congestion and a runny nose can last a week or two weeks, and a cough can last up to three weeks. They said it is all part of the normal course of a virus.
They said it's best that a child with a fever and cough stay home to help health themselves and to prevent disease spread. They said once the fever and other symptoms subside, you are safe to send them back to school; even if the cough lingers, they said that's okay.
When it comes to prevention, the doctors said to practice good hand washing often and use hand sanitizer when needed. Get the recommended vaccines for your child, as well, including for flu and COVID. Parents should talk to their pediatrician if they have questions, they stress.
For at-home remedies to help with symptom relief, the doctors recommend, depending on age, Motrin and Tylenol. They said OTC cold and flu medications typically aren't helpful or even safe for kids.
They also recommend keeping kids hydrated and providing drink options with electrolytes, along with plain water too.
Finally, they recommend a bulb suction to help remove mucus from your baby's mouth or nose so they can breathe better.
Above all, remember the advice of West and the doctors: You know your child best, so take action if something seems wrong.
"It is better to seek care early than wait," said Dr. Mistovich.
Doctors Mistovich and Effron offer unique care. They are the only direct, pediatric primary care providers in the Cleveland area, offering house calls and more direct access to their patients.
"We have lots of direct contact and communication," said Dr. Effron. "We have the ability to text and email, and check in with our patients regularly and I feel so fortunate to do that this respiratory season because there are patients I'm able to call or text literally 4-5 times a day and talk with them at 2 in the morning to help make sure their baby is okay and identify right away if we need to escalate care."
Click here to visit the website for their practice, Greater Cleveland Pediatrics.
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