ROANOKE, Va. – Health officials are advising parents to prioritize vaccinations as students prepare to return to classrooms, with the CDC projecting an increase in COVID-19 activity in 27 states, including Virginia.
“My biggest thing would be, don’t be afraid to send your kids back to school. Don’t be worried about these projections, numbers, stuff like that. Getting sick with viruses is sometimes just part of growing up. Kids will get sick, and we’re here to take care of you if that happens,” says Dr. William Engel, Chair of Pediatrics at Centra Medical Group.
Currently, the Virginia Department of Health reports that COVID-19, flu, and RSV are stable as of July 12. However, health experts anticipate a seasonal uptick in respiratory illnesses as students return to indoor settings.
“Anytime children go back to school and start congregating in large groups again, we’ll see an increase in viral respiratory strains,” said Dr. Engel.
While initial increases in August and September are expected to be moderate, Engel said they’ll see more significant spikes between October and December.
Respiratory Disease Program Coordinator Lisa Sollot at the Virginia Department of Health outlines key prevention measures when sending your kids back to school:
- Proper hand washing
- Covering coughs and sneezes with elbows
- Staying home when sick
- Maintaining good indoor air circulation
She also said it’s important to be mindful of your health.
“Are we sick? Do we need to stay home? Should we talk to a healthcare provider about getting a test so that we can make sure that we’re healthy enough to go back out in our community? And then yeah, just lastly, taking our health into our own hands by being mindful about our respiratory etiquette and washing hands frequently,” said Sollot.
Current Disease Activity
At Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, recent surveillance shows stable conditions:
- 18 emergency department visits for COVID-19 and two for flu across all ages in the past 30 days
- Two emergency department visits for COVID-19 cases, specifically in patients 18 and younger
Understanding Symptoms
Parents often struggle to distinguish between COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
Doctors said they share common symptoms like fever, cough, and congestion. “The best way to know is to go and get a test from your healthcare provider,” Sollot advises.
Healthcare providers typically test four main strains of flu, COVID, and RSV.
“So, parents need to be aware that just because you go to the emergency room or the pediatrician, when they say that the viral panel is negative, they may actually only be talking about flu, COVID, and RSV,” said Dr. Engel.
He said parents should follow the advice of doctors.
Despite projected increases, health professionals urge parents not to be overly anxious.
“My biggest thing would be, don’t be afraid to send your kids back to school. Don’t be worried about these projections, numbers, stuff like that. Getting sick with viruses is sometimes just part of growing up. Kids will get sick, and we’re here to take care of you if that happens,” said Dr. Engel.