HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Many kids in the Tampa Bay Area will return to the classroom next week. As students get back together, that means germs will start spreading too.
Sarah Soich is no stranger to her kids picking up some sort of bug.
“We do know if one gets sick, there’s very good odds that the other two will be getting sick following that,” said Soich.
With students heading back to class, she knows what might be coming around the corner.
“I think every time we go back to school after a break, we end up getting some kind of crud,” said Soich. “I think it’s just par for the course, but I’m banking on somebody getting something next week.”
“Everyone is sick. That’s all I can say,” said Dr. Rachel Dawkins, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Dawkins said they’re seeing a ton of flu, a good amount of RSV, and a resurgence of COVID. That’s on top of other viruses like the common cold.
“As kids go back to school, they start sharing their germs again, so maybe one child had the common cold and one child had COVID, and now they can swap,” said Dawkins.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s sent ABC Action News data on some of the illnesses they’ve seen for the last two months. The numbers reflect positive tests at the hospital, not necessarily patients that were admitted.
Number of Patients Admitted in Nov. 2022:
- RSV- 122
- COVID- 53
- Flu A- 235
Number of Patients Admitted in Dec. 2022:
- RSV- 100
- COVID- 92
- Flu A- 368
As for top tips for parents, Dr. Dawkins said to keep your child home if they’re sick and practice good hand washing.
“If your child is sick with a runny nose or cough, they don’t necessarily have to be seen and it’s not necessarily an emergency to go to the emergency room,” said Dawkins. “You can use supportive treatments at home, whether that’s acetaminophen or Motrin for fever, lots of fluids and hydration, lots of rest.”
Dawkins said if you’re really concerned, be sure to call your pediatrician, and of course, if your child is in distress, go to the emergency room.
Soich said what’s important to them is that they get the flu vaccine as soon as it’s available.
“We make sure they take daily vitamins. We give them nutritious food. We hand sanitize when we come in from anywhere,” said Soich.
