BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The hustle and bustle of the holidays are now behind us, and as kids head back to school, I checked in with Dr. Stephen Turkovich, President of Oishei Children's Hospital, for some tips on keeping your family healthy.
"Over the past few weeks, we've started an uptick in the number of respiratory illnesses in the emergency room and admitted to the hospital," said Dr. Turkovich.
Dr. Turkovich says among the most common viruses he's seeing as we head into the New Year are:
- Flu
- RSV
- COVID
"RSV has been around for about 4 to 5 weeks and may be peaking. The flu really just started about two weeks ago and is starting to increase even more, so it's a good time to get your flu shots, get your COVID booster, and if you are pregnant or if you have a young baby, get an RSV vaccine," said Dr. Turkovich.
Another illness that is on the rise is Norovirus, typically known as stomach flu, with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea.
Dr. Turkovich said like respiratory illnesses, Norovirus can spread easily this time of year with people spending time indoors with others, or while traveling, but the good news is there are some easy things you can do to protect your family.
"Washing your hands is really, really important," said Dr. Turkovich. "If you're sick, you know, people want to spend time with family, but this is a good time to stay home and keep your germs to yourself, or wear a mask. If you are immunocompromised and you're going out, definitely wear a mask because this is a time when more illnesses are circulating in the community."
Dr. Turkovich said walking pneumonia has also increased since the summer. If your child has a fever with a cough that doesn't seem to be going away he suggests contacting your doctor because treatment for walking pneumonia requires antibiotics.
