Colds Are On The Rise Among Kids, Pediatricians Say
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Restrictions have relaxed and play dates are back on. Children of all ages are back outside spending the day with other kids.
"They were going a little bit house crazy. They were getting irritable and bad-tempered, but now that we've been outside, they are back to their old selves and it's wonderful," said Windy Sanchez, who's a mother and grandmother.
But while their little personalities are coming back to life, there is more spreading than laughter.
"Coming out to the park, how clean are things? Are people coming out to the park even if they are sick and we don't know?" Sanchez said.
Dr. Michael Petrosky with Allegheny Health Network said pediatrician offices are currently flooded with calls.
"We are seeing the stuff we normally see in late winter, early spring. Colds, strep throat, ear infections," Petrosky said.
Petrosky told KDKA these types of visits in the summer are highly unusual and like most things out of the ordinary lately, he cites the pandemic for the increase in common cold cases in children.
"They've been isolated, masked, staying at home, so they haven't had the period where their immune system has been exposed to some of these illnesses. So we are seeing these kids who are being exposed for the first time," Petrosky said.
With the threat of coronavirus still very real for this unvaccinated population, Petrosky said testing is still a huge element to an office visit.
"The numbers are going down and we want to keep them down and the only way to do that is to spread it as little as possible. So if you are positive, we have to do the quarantine and make sure you are feeling better, so we don't get those spikes again," Petrosky said.
Pediatricians across the region were preparing for a common cold spike post-pandemic, but the predictions were for the fall, which means there could still be a long way to go.
"You have to live and be careful, but it will probably be worse before it gets better," Petrosky said.
