The doctors' office is a very busy place these days, because there is a lot going around.
Schools are noticing a lot of absences these days due to plenty of nasty germs going around.
Dr. Gilbert Goliath in South Charleston has seen a lot of children with RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. For older patients, RSV just causes typical cold symptoms, but it can lead to serious complications for the very young, especially premature babies. RSV is highly contagious and most often spread through coughing and sneezing.
Dr. Goliath is also seeing children with stomach virus that’s causing nausea and vomiting. Pneumonia is also making a lot of people sick. Its symptoms include coughing, fever, chills and rapid breathing.
He’s also seeing kids with croup, which causes a deep, distinctive cough.
Doctors at Tri-State Pediatrics in Ashland are also seeing typical illnesses for the season, such as the flu, stomach virus and mononucleosis, which is a virus that can cause a number of symptoms including fever, severe fatigue, sore throat and headache. It can make you sick for three to four weeks.