Got sick kids? Here’s what you need to know about the viruses landing children in the hospital

Children’s hospitals in Louisiana have reported an increase in admissions ahead of the usual winter surge this year. And while COVID-19 is still present, SARS-CoV-2 is not fueling most of the admissions and ER visits, according to data from Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Here are the viruses that pediatricians are seeing pop up most frequently:

Rhinovirus and Enterovirus

These viruses typically cause symptoms associated with the common cold. The two viruses cause similar symptoms and are indistinguishable from one another on the tests that most hospitals use.

Tests given for these two viruses at two major children’s hospitals in New Orleans and Baton Rouge are coming back positive between 40%-50% of the time, accounting for most of the recent illness spike.

These viruses typically are not severe in healthy kids and not responsible for many admissions in the hospital or ICU. Kids can typically recuperate at home, according to pediatricians.

Enterovirus was the subject of a federal health advisory earlier this month due to a rise in cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that a particular strain of enterovirus called D68 was causing more severe illness, including acute flaccid myelitis, a rare but serious neurologic complication involving limb weakness. Most hospitals don’t have sophisticated enough testing to determine what strain of enterovirus a patient is harboring.

Influenza A

Flu season typically ramps up in October, but Children’s Hospital New Orleans — Louisiana’s largest children’s hospital — is seeing positive flu results in about 1 in 5 patients who receive the test. Doctors recommend kids over the age of 6 months get a yearly flu vaccine by the end of October.

According to the CDC, about 8% of the population gets the flu every season. The incidence rate for children is a little higher, at about 9.3%. During some particularly bad flu years, the rate has been as high as around 19% in kids under the age of 4.

Adenovirus

About one in ten tests have come back positive at Children’s Hospital New Orleans for adenovirus, which causes cold-like symptoms including fever, sore throat, pneumonia, pink eye and sometimes stomach issues.

Federal health authorities are also investigating a connection between adenovirus infection and liver inflammation of unknown cause in some children.

RSV

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is the illness that is causing more serious admissions, including in the intensive care unit, according to pediatricians. At a Baton Rouge children’s hospital, the rate of test positivity has been as high as 21% in recent weeks.

Newborns and children younger than 6 months are most at risk for severe cases of RSV. Other young children with existing lung issues or immune system problems are also at a higher risk.

Almost all kids will encounter an RSV infection by the age of 2. One to two out of every 100 children younger than 6 months of age with RSV infection may need to be hospitalized. Most improve and are discharged in a few days with supportive care.

COVID

COVID-19 is still popping up among children, though the rates are not nearly as high as they once were. About 2% of COVID tests are coming back positive at Children’s Hospital New Orleans in recent weeks.

Although kids over 6 months are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, the majority of young kids in Louisiana are not vaccinated. About 2% of kids under four in the state have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

To avoid most respiratory illnesses, the CDC recommends the following precautions:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick, and when you are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Consider wearing a mask around other people if you have respiratory symptoms.
• Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you or your child has trouble breathing or has a sudden onset of limb weakness.
• Ensure you or your child are following an up-to-date asthma action plan if you or your child have asthma.
• Stay up-to-date with all recommended vaccines.