03/12/2025
Dear Parents 🧑🧒
As you will no doubt be aware there are many circulating viruses, including the new circulating virus and the influenza virus, causing lots of coughs, colds and sore throats, temperatures, nausea and headaches currently in and around Weymouth.
Many children present with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, sometimes with an expectation that antibiotics are necessary to help them improve. These infections are predominantly viral, and antibiotics do not work on viruses.
A cough can unfortunately last for a matter of weeks and there is little that can be done to hasten this recovery and time is often the best medicine, however we appreciate that it is distressing for you and your child when they are unwell.
The Healthier Together website has excellent advice when children are unwell with a cough and/or a cold, including a specific section on ‘when you should worry’: https://www.healthiertogether.nhs.uk/child-under-5-years/cough-and-cold.
Below is a summary of the amber and red symptoms (as used in the Healthier Together guidance) that parents should be aware of:
🔴RED symptoms – seek urgent medical attention
• Working hard to breathe (grunting, ribs sucking in, nostrils flaring).
• Breathing very fast or struggling to talk/feed due to breathlessness.
• Skin, lips or tongue looking blue or very pale.
• Extremely drowsy, difficult to wake, or unresponsive.
• A rash that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it.
• Having a seizure/fitting.
• Not drinking for a prolonged period with signs of dehydration (e.g., dry nappies, sunken eyes).
• A child under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher.
🟠AMBER symptoms – seek prompt medical advice
• Breathing faster than normal, or persistent cough causing vomiting.
• Reduced feeding/drinking or fewer wet nappies than usual.
• High temperature lasting longer than 5 days.
• Child is unusually sleepy, irritable, or not their normal self.
• Worsening symptoms despite usual care.
• Ear pain, sore throat, or cough that is significantly affecting sleep or daily activity.
If your child’s symptoms are deteriorating and they have symptoms of concern as indicated above or on the Healthier Together website, please do not hesitate to re-consult.
Kind regards,
The Cross Road Surgery Clinical Team
