With the arrival of winter,
respiratory syncytial virus infections (VRS), responsible for the
bronchiolitis in childrenare experiencing a resurgence. This year, specialists are reporting a higher number of cases than usual, a situation that is fueling concern among parents. The latter, often helpless in the face of worrying symptoms such as breathing difficulties or persistent coughs, worry about the health of their little ones.
THE medical consultations are increasing, as are hospitalizations in certain serious cases, reinforcing this feeling of anxiety. If the healthcare professionals want to be reassuring about the seasonal nature of these infections, they nevertheless insist on the need for increased vigilance.
“Like every year, the cold season leads to an increase in respiratory infections which affect thousands of children. In recent weeks, pediatric services have been overwhelmed due to numerous cases of severe bronchiolitis. Infections are clearly increasing, with symptoms often more intense, and persistence or even recurrences of certain signs such as fever and cough. This is due to what is called
immune debt. Because of the
Covid-19many children have not developed immunity to these
infections. This caused a reduction in their body’s immune defense,” declared to the newspaper “Le Matin”
Dr Moulay Saïd Afifpediatrician. And to add that “it is especially premature babies and young infants aged less than three months who are more at risk of developing serious forms of the disease, especially when parents delay in consulting. In these cases, we are generally forced to hospitalize them in intensive care. Hence the importance of consulting as soon as the first signs appear such as runny nose, fever and cough. The latter can be mild at first, and later worsen, accompanied by wheezing, which can prevent the baby from breathing and feeding.
These remarks are also confirmed by Dr. Abdessalam Rizquihead of the Neonatology department in a clinic in Casablanca, who warns of the growing number of young infants affected by serious forms of the disease, stressing that the neonatology services, already under pressure, are struggling to accommodate all the patients requiring urgent care during this period. “The management of the epidemic bronchiolitis in winter represents a major challenge. Pediatric and neonatology departments are under intense pressure, with a massive influx of young patients into the emergency room, which is operating at full capacity,” he says. “We observe an increase in cases of bronchiolitis from the start of the cold season, but we can say that the epidemic peak was reached in January, with an alarming number of severe forms this year, particularly among infants less than three months. Faced with this situation, we are striving to reorganize hospitalization circuits, add additional beds in order to absorb the influx, and strengthen collaboration with other structures to ensure optimal care for all patients. patients,” explains the doctor.
For his part,
Dr Ayman Aït Haj Kaddourdoctor and speaker, emphasizes that in addition to RSV infections (
respiratory syncytial virus), children are also particularly vulnerable to
infections by influenza and rhinovirus. “Parents must be very vigilant and consult urgently in the event of persistent cough, fever, loss of appetite, rapid breathing, intercostal indrawing in infants…” he says.
And to protect them and prevent these infectionsthe specialist recommends avoiding contact with sick people, ventilating rooms regularly, encouraging good hand hygienebut also vaccinate children at risk from the flu.
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