Parent’s Survival Guide to Flu, COVID-19 and RSV

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) — Cold and flu season has arrived, and doctor’s offices are full of children with many respiratory illnesses.

This winter, parents could be dealing with a triple viral threat: influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.

While there’s no magic way to keep your kids from getting sick, there are some things you can do to improve the odds, like keeping their vaccinations up to date.

This includes the flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

Be sure to show your children how to wash their hands properly. They should scrub for 20 seconds when they get home, after using the toilet and before eating.

Additionally, wearing a mask remains an effective form of protection, especially in congested indoor spaces.

If your children do end up getting sick, make them as comfortable as possible. They usually need time to get better, so let them rest. Above all, keep them hydrated.

As for medications, check with your doctor first, but it’s usually okay to give them ibuprofen or children’s acetaminophen. Avoid cough medicine, as it doesn’t really work well for them and can even be dangerous.

It is also important to know the signs of an emergency. If your child has a fever of 105 degrees, shows signs of dehydration, or has trouble breathing, take them to the emergency room. Any fever in newborns less than 2 months old should also be considered an emergency.

Finally, if you have sick children, keep them home to prevent others from getting sick.

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