(WHTM) — This week, the providers of UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics in York and Spring Grove continue to see cases of RSV, flu, and COVID-19.
Pediatricians at Penn State Health are continuing to see a lot of viral illnesses. They are seeing a lot of cases of the flu, COVID, and RSV. They are also seeing upper respiratory viruses, stomach bugs, strep throat, and common colds.
This week, the CVS MinuteClinic in York is seeing COVID, strep throat, and viral upper respiratory infections.
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Roseville Pediatrics is seeing RSV, bronchiolitis, and influenza. They’re also seeing a lot of colds with a cough and fever.
They are reporting a bit more pneumonia than in prior years, but say not to a level that would cause alarm.
They are seeing high numbers of strep throat in older kids and continue to diagnose COVID cases.
Dr. Joan Thode offered the following advice about when to take your child to their pediatrician:
“As demand for appointments increases along with the usual illnesses this time of year, knowing what is expected with typical viral courses vs. when to worry is important.
“Prolonged cough that is not causing respiratory distress is normal for a week or so after a typical cold, especially in younger kids. Prolonged fever, however, is not normal beyond five days.
“The cough that seems to go on forever is related to the post-nasal drainage of the mucous that is made in the nose and sinuses during the illness itself. Mucous is one of the immune system’s primary modes of defense and is actively produced for four to five days until the immune system vanquishes the virus. Then the body will start sending it down the throat to get rid of it. Thus, the child or baby will turn the corner and start feeling better, have no more fevers, appetite and energy will return, BUT the cough might sound worse for a day or two because the amount of post-nasal drainage is actually higher as the body gets rid of it all.
“Thus, it’s not about the number of days of cough or how wet the cough sounds, but rather the effort of breathing that’s important. The cough related to the post-nasal drainage is due to mucous from the nose, not mucous from the lungs, and therefore, the child should not show signs of lower oxygen, which include rapid breathing, increased use of abdominal and chest muscles to breathe, and forced expiration. Any of these signs of increased effort of breathing should prompt an evaluation with a doctor quickly, as we need to check the oxygen status of the child.
“Most colds will cause a slowly improving but still wet-sounding cough for a total of two to three weeks. The older the kid, the better the physics of drainage, and the fewer expected days of post-nasal drainage and cough.
“Fevers, however, have a different set of stipulations that are more hard and fast: All fevers lasting five consecutive days should be evaluated by a physician in the office and likely additional testing.”