Dr. Greg Hudson at Christ’s Care Pediatrics says he’s seeing quite a bit of influenza. Doctors test for this with a nasal swab in the office. It takes about five minutes to get the results. He’s also seeing a lot of patients with flu-like symptoms -- coughing and fever, but they're testing negative for flu. Dr. Hudson says RSV is still a concern. In older kids it causes a bad cold. In little ones, especially premature babies and very young infants less than a month, Dr. Hudson says it can lead to bronchiolitis, pneumonia, difficulty breathing.

In Ashland, doctors at Tri-State Pediatrics are seeing flu, a lot of stomach viruses, rotavirus, which causes vomiting, and diarrhea, and RSV.
Doctors in the emergency room at Our Lady of Bellefonte hospital are also seeing a lot of people with coughing. Bronchitis and upper respiratory infections are the top two diagnoses there.

Dr. Art Rubin at ABC Pediatrics says he’s seeing a lot of flu. Now, if it’s diagnosed within the first 48 hours, Dr. Rubin says a prescription of Tamiflu can make the symptoms milder and shorten its duration from as many as 7 days to as few as 3 days.

He says he’s also seeing some strep throat, although most of the children he’s seeing with a sore throat and fever test negative for strep, so it’s something viral. RSV is still a problem. And a number of other bugs are causing those coughing and cold symptons, but Dr. Rubin says he’s not recommending cough/congestion medicines. Instead, he suggests cool mist humidifiers. Cool mist, saline nose spray, lots of liquids can help ease the symptoms unti the virus runs its course.

Flu is also topping the list at Ashland Children’s Clinic. Doctors are also seeing a lot of upper respiratory infections and gastroenteritis.