An unprecedented phenomenon of recent decades is the simultaneous appearance of 4-5 respiratory viruses simultaneously in childrensays pediatrician and treasurer of the Panhellenic Federation of Independent Pediatricians Spyros Mazanis.

As he pointed out to the FM agency, almost one in ten sick children needs hospitalization.

When will the wave of viruses peak?

“Our daily life was very difficult last month, although the number of cases has increased since October. With the onset of winter, the incidence will increase. According to Mr. Mazanis, this wave will intensify over the next two months, and the peak is expected from mid-February.

According to him, the season of health that we are now experiencing is characterized by three characteristics:

1. The simultaneous increase and the presence of 4-5 viruses affecting the respiratory system of children, which we have not observed for at least the last 30 years.
2. Lack of drugs to properly treat and treat morbidity and
3. There is a lack of beds in both public and private children’s hospitals, as the increase in the incidence has also led to an increase in the number of hospitalizations.

Regarding the problem of pediatric intensive care units, which are lacking in our country, especially in the region and especially in Central Greece, Mr. Mazanis argues that this is a chronic problem, it did not appear suddenly, it just became more obvious now, due to the growth morbidity.

Long hours of waiting in clinics for no reason

As for waiting times in polyclinics, the pediatrician notes that they are even longer, because hundreds of children come for examinations, even for something simple, because parents are afraid.

“This is wrong because children spend long hours in outpatient clinics, so they are at risk, even if they do not have serious problems, they can eventually become infected. As a result, hospitals are overwhelmed. For this reason, we recommend that parents first contact a pediatrician so that they can provide primary care and decide whether the child should be admitted to the hospital. After all, 74% of children are observed by personal pediatricians.”

When asked which virus is more common among children at the moment, flu, covid or RSV, the treasurer of the Panhellenic Federation of Freelance Pediatricians says they are separate, although sometimes there can be a larger single virus outbreak than a single virus outbreak. Another.

RSV now affects older children and adults

“Until a week ago, the flu was very common, the coronavirus began to spread in the last few days, and we expect a second wave of a significant increase in influenza in the coming weeks, closer to February. And RSV, which usually predominates in young children under two years of age, has changed its behavior, and now we are seeing both older children and their parents get infected.”

According to Mr. Mazanis, children under 16 are currently hospitalized, but more children under one year old are hospitalized, as they are more susceptible to RSV, which causes them difficulty in breathing.

How to strengthen children’s immunity

The pediatrician says that it is especially important at this time, in addition to observing protective measures, to strengthen children’s immunity.

This can be done in three ways:

1. proper nutrition (fruits, greens, good meat, not fried and sweets)
2. good sleep, at least 8 hours a day and
3. exercise.

“Vitamins that some parents give their children are almost useless because they do not strengthen the immune system. Parents have the illusion that they are offering something to their child, but this is not true, ”the pediatrician notes.

One of the biggest enemies in the fight against viruses is obesity, Mr. Mazanis says, and that’s because fat weakens the immune system: “There are even some viruses that are lipotrophs, meaning the more fat a child has, the more these viruses get into fat and multiply, so these kids have a higher viral load.”

Regarding masks, Mr Mazanis says that “we recommend that children who have some vulnerability, or those who live with people belonging to vulnerable groups or with infants, wear masks on an optional basis.”