There’s been a ton of surprises related to the COVID pandemic and skipping flu season last year was another one I never saw coming.

Masks and social distancing definitely played a role but the absolute lack of cases was still shocking.

So, will we get lucky again this year?

I doubt it.

And here’s 3 reasons why:

1. Social distancing and masking are going away or gone. And we all want to get to that place…but it does mean we’re likely to have flu cases spread among classmates and families.
2. Skipping a flu season last year may make individuals more vulnerable to flu this year. Our bodies haven’t seen flu for almost two years. And just like our other colds went wild in kids this fall, flu could do the same this winter.
3. A mild or absent flu season last year may make people more likely to skip their flu shot this year. “Do we really need one after last year?” is a common question I have been asked.

What can you do to protect your child and their friends?

Get them their flu shot. Now’s not the time to get cute. Just do it.

Start to work with your child on hand-washing and covering their coughs. We need to protect ourselves and others.

Keep your child home if they are sick. If something seems to be brewing, give it a day to develop at home.

But, driving to work the last few weeks and seeing all the standing water already starts to make my skin itch. Mosquitos are on the way. And I suspect it’s going to be a terrible year.

Mosquitos can cause a variety of problems:

1. Simple itching and discomfort-small bites which can lead to infection when scratched
2. Large local reactions-which can be very itchy, even quite painful (See more at Skeeter Syndrome).
3. Serious systemic illness such as West Nile Virus, Zika virus or Chikungunya.

But our kids don’t have to suffer. There are great options for preventing mosquito bites and warding off some of these miserable consequences.

DEET

N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide sounds like a little bit of a scary name for a chemical we can put on babies as young as two months. But DEET has been extensively studied and consistently shown to the safe and effective as a mosquito repellant in children. Recommended concentrations of 10-30% provide great protection with 30% lasting around five hours.

Picardin or Lemon Eucalyptus Oils

Multiple alternatives to DEET have been tried. Studies have shown that these two alteratives can be as effective as 10% DEET and thus last around two hours. Reapplication will be important if there are plans to be outside longer than two hours.

Here are some important facts about applying insect repellant:

1. Spray a thin layer over clothes and exposed skin. Thick layers do not make it more effective.
2. Use your hands to apply repellant to the face rather than directly spraying.
3. Spray in open areas to avoid ongoing inhalation.
4. Assist young children with application to ensure coverage and safety.
5. Avoid combination sunscreen products because reapplication of sunscreen needs to be done more frequently.

Having a healthy and fun summer should include TONS of outdoor play. Keeping your child safe from mosquitos is one part of making sure nothing spoils the fun.

Read more: 

'Skeeter Syndrome': Is My Kid's Bug Bite Infected?

An Infectious Disease Pediatrician Explains Differences and Similarities between West Nile and COVID-19

Everything You Need To Know About DEET and Protecting Your Kids From Mosquitos

Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Me and Not You?

 Chiggers Myths Parents Need To Know

And while I’m confident that we’ll get through it together, I need your help.

Ruling out COVID-19 for kids with symptoms (some mild, some more severe) has become the biggest reason for kids visiting our office. We’ve already seen kids getting sick as they go back to school and that makes me nervous about what the upcoming flu season is going to look like.

Because the symptoms of flu overlap with COVID-19 so much, it’s going to be difficult to tell whether flu or COVID-19 is causing your child’s flu-like illness. And, there’s no guarantee that a child can’t get both at the same time.

So with the flu season nearing, you probably have a lot of questions that need to be answered about this possibility:

• Does every child with flu-like illness need to be tested for both?
  • Probably.
• Does getting COVID-19 and the flu at the same time mean your child will be more at risk for severe illness?
  • Probably.
• Will we have enough COVID-19 testing available to continue avoiding unnecessary quarantines?
  • I hope so, but every time we test a child for COVID-19 because they have flu-like illness, we have fewer tests available.

Here are some things you can do to help your child and yourself (and me):

1. Get your child their flu shot. ASAP. The effectiveness of the flu shot does vary from year to year. It’s not perfect. But, it’s the best we have. And even decreasing the amount of flu by 60% this year will change the lives of those children: Avoiding not one but two tests. Avoiding the worrying during the waiting time and wondering if your child has flu, COVID-19 or something else.
    
2. Start practicing hand washing. Children need to be taught to wash their hands adequately and often.
    
3. Wear your mask, even in situations where you think it might not be necessary. It will not only protect against COVID-19, it will protect against the flu as well. We, as a health care provider and a society, cannot afford to have a terrible flu season this year.
    
4. Keep yourself and your child home if you are sick. This is important…every…single…year. But it is especially important this year. Don’t be the family that knocks over the first domino. Even if you aren’t seen by a doctor, waiting a day can be helpful to see if your simple symptoms progress or go away.

Let’s all do our part.

We can do this!

It smells like strawberry Laffy Taffy.

This strategy works like a charm to get a strawberry flavored popsicle stick into a little one’s mouth, but in today’s world of COVID-19, they might have a new use as well.

New data from adults suggest that the anosmia, or the loss of the sense of smell, might be a sign more specific for COVID-19. This could be helpful in the middle of cold and allergy season when everyone seems to have cough and congestion. According to researchers, it's possible that between 30 and 60 percent of COVID-19 patients have a significant loss of smell. This seems to occur both before sypmtoms arise and along with other symptoms. 

While it might be difficult to assess with young children, parents and providers could be able to use loss of smell as an indication that COVID-19 might be more likely.

One important thing to keep in mind is that a lack of smell is likely to be significant if the child does not have nasal congestion, which would otherwise explain the symptom. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Some patients also report digestive issues like diarrhea.

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• COVID-19 Testing Guidelines: Why Every Patient Won’t Be Tested For COVID-19 At Cook Children’s
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• Don’t rush to the doctor’s office. Here’s what to do if you suspect your child has COVID-19
• What Parents Need to Know About the Coronavirus
• COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information
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