ATLANTA — As we head into the holiday break, metro Atlanta doctors are seeing a spike in sick children and it’s not just respiratory illnesses.
“Over the past month or so we’ve actually seen an increase in gastrointestinal or GI viruses, specifically viruses that are causing fever, vomiting and diarrhea,” Dr. Thuy Bui told Channel 2′s Linda Stouffer.
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Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta doctors are seeing kids with rotavirus and norovirus. Dr. Bui is medical director at Scottish Rite emergency room where hospitalizations are up. She says most children can be treated at home if they can keep down liquids.
“What we really want them to be able to do is drink fluids. And so if you can get water in them, if you can get electrolyte solutions, like Gatorade, Pedialyte, for the most part, they will be fine through this illness,” Dr. Bui said.
“But if they’re starting to throw up all the fluids, and they continue to have either vomiting or lots of diarrhea, then they may need to be evaluated to make sure they’re not dehydrated and need actual IV fluids.”
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The viruses are highly contagious. Your best defense? Soap and water.
“Normal hand sanitizer alone, especially if you’re trying to wash your hands, it’s not the greatest at protecting against norovirus in particular,” Bui said. “So you want to make sure that you least wash your hands with warm soap and water to ensure that the virus gets off.”
She added that parents should clean doorknobs, sinks, toilet handles and other areas with chlorine bleach, or wipes or disinfectants with those chemicals in it.
One of the hardest questions, especially around the holidays, is when a child can go back to school or join activities again.
Bui says wait until they are symptom free for 24-48 hours. Always check with your doctor about your concerns.
You can read more about norovirus here and check Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta ER wait times here.
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