Respiratory illnesses increasing as children head back to school

After two weeks of sugar-filled madness, with kids running around on the holiday high, the last thing busy parents want is to have their children off school longer as a result of a respiratory virus.

Prior to the holiday break, viruses were circulating the classrooms with influenza and COVID-19 levels low to moderate and steady, but rates of RSV high and rising.

Levels headed into January are very similar, according to the Ottawa Public Health (OPH) respiratory and enteric surveillance dashboard.

“As we start to gather in large groups please be mindful of your health. Protect friends and family by staying home if you have any respiratory illness symptoms and washing your hands often,” OPH wrote in a post on X prior to the beginning of the holiday break.

On average it takes between one and 10 days to develop symptoms after being infected with a respiratory virus. In some cases, such as with COVID-19, it can take up to two weeks. This means that children who contract viruses over the break may not be symptomatic until they return to school, at which point they are already contagious.

Mariam Hanna, an assistant clinical professor with McMaster’s Department of Pediatrics, says parents can expect their school-aged children to experience 10 to 12 upper respiratory illnesses in a school year.

With multiple viruses floating around, it is important to monitor your child’s symptoms to know when something more serious may be occuring.

Ottawa public health reports that after the first week of December, 17.1 per cent of all emergency department visits were due to a respiratory infection. However, most of these cases are in those over 65 years of age.

The same week saw the highest number of RSV patients in Ottawa hospitals per day with an average of 10 children 0-4 in hospital for RSV and the same number of those over 65.

For the week beginning Dec. 8 there were also four reported outbreaks of gastroenteritis in licensed childcares, camps and schools in Ottawa.

Keeping your child away from all viruses this season may be impossible but there are things parents can do to make infection less likely and symptoms less serious. OPH says it is not too late to get vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19 with walk ins and appointments available at most pharmacies.

“Parents can also remind their kids to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze and to wash their hands often while at school/avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands,” a spokesperson for OPH told CityNews. “If your child does exhibit symptoms of respiratory illness, it’s important to keep them at home until they are fever-free, and symptoms have been improving for 24 hours.”

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