As your little one grows up, they will have their fair share of ear infections, colds, and tummy bugs. Kids love to share, which is why kindergartens and schools are favorite breeding grounds for various bacteria and viruses. Things like the common cold and pink eye are very contagious, so you should keep your child at home if they are showing symptoms.
There are many other bacteria, viruses, and bugs that can lead to other contagious diseases. In this post, we will introduce some of the most common spreadable diseases that can affect kids.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
RSV is one of the leading respiratory illnesses in young children. It isn’t usually serious in healthy kids, but it can cause complications for premature babies and kids with lung, heart, or immune system problems.
The virus usually causes cold-like symptoms such as a stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, headache, and fever. It is a highly contagious disease and can quickly spread when someone sneezes, coughs, or touches surfaces without cleaning their hands. It would be best if you keep your child at home until the fever has cleared.
Most kids can be treated at home, but if your baby shows any RSV symptoms, you should contact your doctor for advice.
Fifth Disease
This viral disease is common in children aged between 5 and 15. It starts with a low fever, runny nose, and swollen joints. At this stage, your child can quickly spread the disease by sneezing, touching their eyes, nose, and then touching other surfaces.
A bright red rash will appear on the face after a few days and then spread down the body. Once the rash appears, then the child is no longer infectious.
Croup
Croup is another viral infection that affects babies and young kid’s airways. The disease is spread through contact with infected droplets from the nose, eyes, or mouth. Symptoms include a barky cough, which gets worse at night, runny nose, fever, usually lasts for around a week. Your child will usually start to feel better after about 48 hours, and the condition can be easily treated at home.
Cough or cold medicines won’t help, so make sure they remain hydrated and comfort them if they are distressed, as crying can make the symptoms worse.
Impetigo
This skin infection is caused by a staph or strep bacteria that gets into a cut, scratch, or bite. After a child is infected, fluid-filled red sores will appear on their face, hands, or feet. After they burst, they will develop a honey-colored crust. It is quite common in infants and younger children and can be easily spread between kids that share things like towels, toys, bedding, and clothing.
Your doctor will usually recommend a course of antibiotics to stop the spread of the disease, and you will need to keep your kid at home for at least the first 24 hours of treatment.
Chickenpox
This common condition can affect kids of any age and is highly contagious. It is caused by the Varicella zoster virus and leads to an itchy rash that can spread all over the body. The spots will usually scab over and drop off after a few days. Your child mustn’t scratch them to avoid scarring and possibly spreading the disease to other family members.
Other symptoms include a mild fever, coughing, tiredness, and a loss of appetite. The good news is that there is an effective vaccine that the CDC highly recommends all kids over 12 have.