We know that as parents, you never want your children to get sick. When they do, it is important to know how to evaluate your child’s respiratory symptoms and when to take them to be seen by a medical provider. While regular colds and seasonal allergies are not typically a cause for alarm, some respiratory illnesses require medical attention. Babies, toddlers, and young children are especially vulnerable to colds and upper respiratory infections when they start spending more time around other children at daycare and in school. The three most common respiratory illnesses that we see in children – besides the common cold – are RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), COVID-19, and flu. The chart below provides a simple breakdown of symptoms for these common respiratory illnesses.
Tips on Distinguishing Between Common Respiratory Illnesses
- Flu Symptoms: May include fever, body aches and chills, headache, dry cough, fatigue, stuffy nose, and sore throat. Sometimes, children may throw up or have diarrhea as well. Typically, symptoms appear within 1-4 days after exposure to a sick individual.
- COVID-19 Symptoms: May include fever, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, sneezing, vomiting/diarrhea, or loss of taste/smell. Typically, symptoms may appear within 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
- RSV Symptoms: May include fever, cough, fatigue, stuffy nose, shortness of breath, sneezing, wheezing and grunting, poor feeding/no appetite. You may also notice their head bobbing or chest caving in between and under their ribs with each breath. Symptoms are typically the worst on days three through five and last about 7 -14 days.
Viruses do not respond to antibiotics; therefore, it is important to know the common symptoms and have your child evaluated by a health care provider. Any viral illness can turn into a secondary bacterial infection such as pneumonia. If you have questions or concerns regarding a symptom your child is having this winter season, contact your pediatrician or bring your child into one of our locations in Dallas or San Antonio for evaluation.
Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care opened in 2006 in San Antonio, Texas. With multiple locations in San Antonio and Dallas, they are open seven days a week with extended evening hours and see walk-in patients or through an online check-in system. They accept most commercial insurance and Medicaid plans.
