School classrooms are empty, clinics and hospital emergency departments are bursting at the seams. The beginning of the new year has always been a time of increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, but it has never been so dramatic. Pediatrician Dr. Izabela Mader Wołyńska advises what symptoms should prompt you to see a specialist and how to reduce the risk of infection.

Accumulation of infections 

The season of getting sick is in full swing. Doctors are sounding the alarm about the exponential increase in viral infections that cause serious respiratory infections in children. Already at the beginning of December, the Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski, informed about the difficult situation in pediatric wards and overcrowded clinics. He emphasized that this is the result of the accumulation of various diseases, primarily influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. This year, as specialists note, we are dealing with numerous complications, such as pneumonia and ear infections. Doctors also point to the shift of the so-called infectious peak. This means that before the pandemic, the season began in January and February, and for the past two years, numerous upper respiratory tract infections have been observed already in September, October or November. They are often much more serious than two years ago. When observing your sick child, it is certainly worth keeping an eye on it, but also, as pediatricians emphasize, not to panic and to admit that not every infection requires running to the clinic.

Don't worry, it's just a fever. When should you take your child to the doctor?

Most infections that occur this season are viral infections. – The need to consult a doctor depends a bit on the age of the child and how the mother copes with the problem – notes a specialist in pediatrics and pediatric nephrology Dr. Izabela Mader Wołyńska. As the doctor emphasizes, support is usually needed by young mothers with their first, small child, in whom even a slightly elevated temperature and symptoms of coughing may be cause for concern. – More experienced mothers already know their children and even in the case of a significant fever, they are able to wait a day or two, watching their children carefully – the doctor notes. However, specialists emphasize that each case is individual and one should always be vigilant. – A high temperature that does not respond to medication is certainly a reason to consult a doctor – adds Dr. Mader Wołyńska. The World Health Organization indicates that a child's temperature of 38.5 is a subfebrile condition. Therefore, as the specialist emphasizes, even a fever of around 39 degrees does not have to be a reason to visit a doctor. If the child is properly hydrated and responds to antipyretics, there is no need to report to the clinic immediately, but calmly administer the medicine and observe. – It is different when a child has a long-lasting high temperature, does not drink and pees noticeably less, this is always a reason to seek advice – notes the specialist. A reason to visit a doctor is also any rash on the skin that is other than allergic, e.g. bright red and does not fade when pressed. However, if after observation we decide that we can handle it ourselves, it is worth remembering that a fever in a child can also be brought down by cool baths and compresses. – Baths, I remind you, not cold ones but cool ones. The water should be one or two degrees colder than the child's temperature – Dr. Mader Wołyńska explains. Cool compresses on larger muscle groups: thighs, calves or arms, as well as on the forehead, are very important in lowering the temperature. Viral infections tend to limit themselves. So if we decide to stay at home, we should be patient, remember to hydrate the child, control urination, clear the nose, inhale and take care of the general well-being of the little one. A healthy diet and rest are very important at this time.

The most important prevention

According to the old maxim that prevention is better than cure, it is worth taking care of prevention. So first of all, do not take your child to places where the risk of infection is higher. However, if we already have a sick person at home, it is worth taking care of the comfort of other household members so that the infection does not spread. A few simple rules will help with this. Wash your hands frequently, air the room, take care of the air humidity, use separate towels. 

- This is, for example, a situation that may seem very simple and trivial, but if a child sneezes and blows their nose, they should have their own bin with a plastic bag where these tissues end up. If it is a common container that everyone opens and everyone throws their rubbish in, it is not good from a hygienic and epidemiological point of view - emphasizes Dr. Izabela Mader Wołyńska.

Virus or bacteria? Antibiotics are the last resort

The symptoms of respiratory infections are very similar. They are usually accompanied by a runny nose, cough, sore throat, high temperature and weakness. Although the symptoms are similar, they are caused by either viruses or bacteria. The type of treatment the doctor will adopt depends on the source of the problem. Viral infections do not justify the use of antibiotics. In such cases, antibiotics not only do not help, but can actually be harmful. – In our country, we have a large overuse of antibiotics, which may result in drug resistance in the future. Of course, there are situations in which this antibiotic is necessary. These are bacterial infections. We now have the ability to use tests and studies that make it easier for us to recognize and use antibiotics early in the infection. However, there are situations when a child is sick, we feel absolutely certain that this infection is viral, but this child is sick in quotation marks, badly. They have a high fever, the infection lasts a long time. There are symptoms that suggest the possibility of bacterial superinfection. Then we also consider the use of antibiotics – emphasizes the doctor. In each case, however, the administration of antibiotics should be followed by observation and even tests. – Morphology and CRP really give us a lot of information. It is known that even in viral infections, CRP will be moderately elevated and this is not an indication for antibiotics. However, if CRP is already very high, and additionally there are certain clinical symptoms that suggest bacterial superinfection, then this antibiotic should appear. These are exceptional situations and such decisions should always be taken very prudently - notes Dr. Mader Wołyńska.

In a healthy body, healthy habits

When the main symptoms of the infection have subsided after a period of illness, parents often mistakenly believe that the child is ready to return to school. As Dr. Izabela Mader Wołyńska points out, nothing could be further from the truth – I would like to emphasize very clearly that children deserve to recover. It is not like a child recovering from an infection and will immediately be as fresh as a spring morning. A child must recover, have time to regenerate, to slowly return to health. This is a situation that unfortunately does not qualify for sick leave for a parent, because the child is already healthy, but he or she still needs a few days of such a breather, to gain strength and only then with this strength to go into this environment where everyone is sneezing and snorting again - notes the doctor. There are situations when a child returns to school or kindergarten right after an illness, goes to school for a few days and immediately catches a new infection because they are weakened. Therefore, in addition to a few days of rest, it is worth taking care of a healthy diet for the child. Not only during the illness and convalescence, but all the time. Movement and spending time in the fresh air are essential. It is also worth taking care of protective vaccinations according to the schedule. – As for diet, I always say in winter let's eat soups. Broth is an immunological soup, it increases immunity. Let's use such natural methods. At the moment, it is widely recommended to use vitamin D, which has a very important meaning not only in terms of strong bones and calcium and phosphate metabolism. This is also a vitamin that is very much responsible for human immunity - concludes Dr. Izabella Mader Wołyńska.

Dr. Izabella Mader Wołyńska talked about the fight against winter infections in children in a medical podcast WHAT DOES YOUR DOCTOR SAY?. We invite you to listen to the entire conversation: