11/23/2019
Will you be around little ones for Thanksgiving? Please read this plea from a patient’s mom:
“It’s that time of year. The time that adults get coughs and sniffles and shrug off the symptoms as allergies or ‘just a cold.’ What I thought was a common cold resulted in the scariest few days of my life.
My baby, Henry, spent five days in the hospital with RSV last fall. One year later, he still requires breathing treatments. The respiratory illnesses that circulate this time of year—RSV, flu, rhinovirus, etc.—are no joke. Especially for little ones.
On behalf of all parents, especially those trying to be polite, I beg you:
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before coming into contact with a child, even if you aren't asked to do so.
Ask permission before touching or kissing a child.
Do not be the well-meaning person at the grocery store who touches a child as a greeting. Wave hello, keep your distance.
These illnesses are real. They are painful for the child, scary for the family—and generally avoidable with good hand hygiene and a healthy dose of precaution. If you're sick, stay home.
Keep little ones safe this winter. Don’t be ‘that’ person who unintentionally puts a child in the hospital for the holidays.”
