JENNIFER: THANK YOU. A RECORD NUMBER OF AMERICAN CHILDREN UNDER AGE 5 ARE NOW HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19. RHONDELLA: HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. VANDANA MADHAVAN, CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN. SOME PEDIATRICIANS SAY, THE OMICRON VARIANT MAY BEMORE DANGERS OUFOR BABIESND A TODDLERS, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING WITH YOUR PATIENTS? >> WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY SEEING OUR SEVERITY, BUT WE ARE SEEING VOLUME AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS A NUMBERS GAME. CHILDREN OBVIOUSLY ARE A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF THE UNVACCINATED COMPONENT RIGHT NOW. WE KNOW OMICRON IS SO MUCH MORE TRANSMISSIBLE SO THERE IT IS GOING TO BE MORE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES GETTING SICK AND FAR MORE CHILDREN ENDING SICK THE SURGE IS COMING IN THE WINTER WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF THESE OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES CIRCULATING AS WELL. LAST WINTER, WE DID NOT REALLY SEE INFLUENZA AT ALL AND THIS THERE, WE ARE SEEING IT. WE HAVE THIS PERFECT STORMF O THIS EASILY SPREADABLE VIRUSES. WE ARE SEEING KIDS TEST FOR MULTIPLE VIRUSES AT THE SAME TIME AND IT IS REALLY HARD TO SAY WHAT THEIR PRIMARY ILLNESSES COMING FROM AREA WE ARE SEEING ALL OF THE TYPICAL MANIFESTATIONSF ORESPIRATORY INFECTIONS WHETHER IT IS JUST A LITTLE COLD IN THE UPPER AIRWAYS, WE ARE SEEING CROUP WHERE THE AIRWAYS I INFLAMED. WE ARE SEEING LOWER TRACT INFECTIONS WHERE THEY — THEIR SMALLER AIRWAYS ARE INFLAMED. JENNIFER: WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR PARENTS RIGHT NOW? SHOULD THEY LIMIT THEIR CHILD’S CONTACT WITH OTHER ADULTS, OR EVEN OTHER KS?ID >> V ADVICE RIGHT NOW IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE GIVE TO PARENT OF THE YOUNGEST CHIRELDN IN ANY RESPIRATORY VIRAL SEASON. TO REALLY BE MINDFUL OF EXPOSURES. MAKING SURE EVERYONE AROUND A CH ILD IS VACCITENAD IS SO IMPORTANT. WE RECOMMEND THAT FOR INFLUENZA AND PERTUSSSI AND BEING COUGHED DAN NOW INFLUENZA. EVERYONE AROUND A CHILD SHOULD BE VACCINATED AND ASKED THE QUESTISON, WHO IS VACCINATED, LET’S BE SAFE AND THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE MEETING WITH OTHERS. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO ADOND EXTRA GATHERINGS WHERE THAT CONTACT MAY NOT BE AS NECESSARY. RHONDELLA: A REAL IMPORTANT REMINDER. LET’S GET TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS FROM VIEWERS. THIS ONE IS FROM MADDY. I HAVE 4 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 7. I’M WORRIED IF ONE GETS COD,VI THEY ALL WILL. ARE THERE ANY SUPPLIES OR MEDS I CAN STOCK NOW IN CASE THEY GET SI?CK >> GREAT QUESTION AND YES, WITH OMICRON BEING SO TRANSMISSIBLE, I THINK IT IS DEFINITELY ASREONLEAB TO ASSUME IT WILL SPREAD WITH IN A HOUSEHOLD EVEN IF NOT EVERYONE HAS SYMPTOMS REMEMBERING OMICRON DOES TEND TO BE MILDER OVERALL THAN OTHER THE SCEEN AREA. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE COLD LIKE SYMPTOMS, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE MORE OF A COUGH AND THE YOUNGER CHILDREN MIGHT NOT HAVE SYMPMSTO AT ALL. IN TERMS OF THINGS TO STOCK IN ADVANCE, ITS I IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE CHILDREN ARE HYDRATED, THEIR FEVERSRE A WELL-CONTROLLED TO HAVING THE ACETAMINOPHEN AND IBUPROFEN ON HAND. YOUNGER CHILDREN, IF YOU KNOW THEY PREFER PEDIALYTE, HAVING THAT ON HAND. PLENTY OF HAND SANITIZER. MAKING SURE THERE ARE PLENTY OF TASKS. REMEMBERING THAT CLOTH TASKS ARE NOT GOING TBEO AS HELPFUL RIGHT NOW. HAVING A SURGICAL MKAS OR N95 IF YOU DO HAVE TO TAKE CHILDREN TO THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE TO BE EVALUATED, MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS A MASS ON BOARD AS WELL. IN TMSER OF OTHER HOME THERAPIES, THERE IS NOTHING CURRENTLY RECOMMENDED FOR THE YOUNSTGE KIDS. EVEN INTRAVENOUS THERAPIES TTHA WE HAVE THAT REQUIRE OUTPATIENTS , HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION, THOSE ARE REALLY RESERVED FOR CHILDREN AT THE HIGHEST RISK FOR DEVELOPING COMPLICATIONS. A CHILD WITH NO OTHER MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS WOULD NOT QUAFYLI FOR THAT. IT IS REALLY THOSE SUPPORTIVE CARE MEASURES TO HAVE A HOME. RHONDELLA: THANK YOU SO MUCH

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Video: Boston doctor explains why current COVID-19 spike in kids is ‘numbers game’

Updated: 10:33 AM EST Jan 8, 2022

Anchor/Reporter

A record number of American children under the age of 5 are now hospitalized with COVID-19 amid the presence of the omicron coronavirus variant.

BOSTON —

A record number of American children under the age of 5 are now hospitalized with COVID-19 amid the presence of the omicron coronavirus variant.

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