METRO DETROIT )WXYZ) — As we send our kids back to school, many of us are focused on the usual checklist—school supplies, bus schedules, and after-school activities.
But as most parents know… where there are a lot of kids, there are a lot of germs.
So, I’m checking in with primary care providers to see what’s bugging Metro Detroit.
"Currently, we are seeing a little bit of increase in Covid over the last few weeks," said Dr. Parag Patel.
Dr. Patel is a family physician at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy. He says while he is still seeing cases from the summer surge, most cases are mild.
"About a week of illness, sometimes 5 to 7 days, fever, body aches, sore throat, usually pretty self-limited," Dr. Patel said.
He says as we transition into fall and with kids back in class, he expects to see an increase in strep throat. And in 2-4 year olds, a seasonal rise in Croup, which is caused by RSV.
"Usually we'll start with typical cold symptoms, runny nose, maybe a low grade fever, but then can progress into more coughing and even some shortness of breath," Dr. Patel said. "And that's when we get more concerned."
Croup often has a distinct barking cough that's made worse by crying and coughing
Other symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Hoarse Voice
- Noisy or labored breathing
Symptoms of croup are often worse at night and usually last for 3 to 5 days. If your child has trouble breathing, get medical attention right away.
At Med with Love in Southfield, Dr. Lauren Uroda says she is seeing some common viruses and the push of back to school physicals and immunizations like flu shots. While the peak of flu season is typically December through February, flu activity begins to increase in October.
"You want to give your immune system time to build a response, which is, about 30 days. So before the peak season occurs is when immunizations are best to be done," Dr. Uroda said.
As a primary care physician, Dr. Uroda and all family medicine providers focus on prevention. As such she’s encouraging patient’s 50 and up to get the shingles vaccine. Shingles can happen at any time, but more mature adults are at greater risk. And while shingles can present as a rash that resolves quickly, it can be so much more.
"It can last years where you have pain in that area. And it can affect all different types of nerves," Dr. Uroda said.
If you have had chickenpox, you already have the virus that causes shingles.
"For people who say chickenpox is gone. No, it's not gone. It’s still here," Dr. Uroda said.
Dr. Laith Al Ejeilat, a pediatrician with Henry Ford Health who goes by Dr. Laith, says just days ago he saw one definite case of chickenpox and then a possible mild case in a child vaccinated earlier this year. So instead of a severe rash loss of appetite and scabs all over.
"If it's a toddler who got vaccinated, they might get a mild rash instead of the horrible rash," Dr. Laith said.
Dr. Laith and his colleagues are seeing a number of patients with prolonged GI upset much more than the 48-stomach bug. It’s a lingering frustration for families.
"Because there's nothing that we can do to stop it," Dr. Laith said. "I'm just going to live through it. So it's hugely inconvenient. And we've seen. More in the past two weeks than. For most of the year."
This is a troubling spike as kids head back to school.
