Associated Pediatricians Discusses Cold and Flu Season Best Practices

As cold and flu season approaches, the need to prevent illness grows more prevalent in day to day life. This fact is especially true for parents and their children, who frequently find themselves in environments conducive to the mass spread of illness, such as schools and daycares.

Dr. Pablo Bukata, pediatrician and practice owner with Associated Pediatricians, has precautions and helpful reminders for parents and those concerned about the spread of illness throughout fall and winter.

When it comes to respiratory illnesses, the best practice noted to prevent illness is the introduction of antibodies to an immune system. This can happen through a number of ways, including vaccines. Yearly immunizations, such as flu and COVID-19 vaccines, are engineered based on recent strains of illnesses in order to keep them effective against each illness.

Antibodies can also be introduced in other ways, especially for infants, seniors, or those at risk of developing severe cases of illnesses. One development in this area is the engineering of a monoclonal antibody meant to combat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

“The best thing to do is to get the antibody. Prior to that, it’s extremely contagious. Some books say RSV is 100% contagious in daycares,” Dr. Bukata said. “The antibody has been out for four seasons, and we’re seeing a lot fewer kids in the office wheezing, which is good for the kids.”

While less impactful to healthy adults, RSV is a respiratory virus, causing cold-like symptoms in the throat, nose, and lungs. It poses the biggest threat to infants and adults with certain risk factors.

RSV can impact even healthy children, leading to wheezing and other complications in breathing. With RSV, as with other respiratory illnesses, parents should keep an eye out for respiratory distress and dehydration. If breathing struggles are noticed, including a child’s ribs going in and out or the child sucking in air when breathing, parents should seek emergency medical care immediately.

Outside of antibody creation, research has not indicated that other methods are particularly effective in directly combating respiratory illnesses. Outside of immunization, the second best approach is to ensure the upkeep of one’s overall health.

“Get enough sleep. That’s how your body recharges and recovers things. Get proper nutrition—that’s also important for all of your body systems and so forth,” Dr. Bukata said. “It sounds cliche, but those are the best things to do to boost your immune system.”

Other precautions include avoiding sharing food or drinks, washing hands, and avoiding touching one’s face.

While many avenues exist for avoiding sickness, there comes a point in each flu season where illness feels inevitable, especially if living with children. In circumstances like this, illness is hard to completely avoid. The best thing one can do is to make sure those who are sick stay hydrated, get rest, and continue to keep up sanitary practices.

Parents should also make an effort to get children who are sick evaluated so they can receive proper medical care. Parents concerned about their children’s health can call an Associated Pediatricians office to talk about symptoms and see whether or not their child needs medical attention from the clinic. From there, an appointment can be made or the office can refer parents and their children to an office equipped for their specific needs.

In the event of medical emergencies, parents should call 911.

While cold and flu season still remains a firm part of every year, Dr. Bukata has noted a shift since the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding about illness and preventative measures is up, leading many to take more precautions when it comes to curbing the spread, including wearing masks or calling off work and school as needed.

“Back then, people would say, ‘Oh, I’m sick, and it’s no big deal. I’ll just tough it out,’ but I think people are now more willing to say ‘Maybe I’m not going to go to this event, I’m a little bit under the weather,’” Dr. Bukata said. “There’s a little bit more awareness of public health and transmission.”

It is important to note that even healthy kids can be harshly impacted by respiratory illnesses. The best way to approach these illnesses is rooted in appropriate caution in order to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

“People think that if your kid’s healthy that you don’t have anything to worry about. Unfortunately there have been totally healthy kids that get very, very sick from what people think are no big deal like the flu and RSV,” Dr. Bukata said. “You can’t be an alarmist about it, but you have to recognize that even a healthy kiddo is still at risk to have complications.”

To find more information about sick visits with Associated Pediatricians, including clinic contact information, you can visit this page. For more information overall about Associated Pediatricians, you can visit its website, associatedpediatricians.com.