Children have high chance of contracting more diseases if they test positive for Covid and respiratory virus

Children: Since the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the deadly virus’ spread has decreased, but there is still much to discover about Covid.

The research objective is still to grasp the virus better.

Recent studies have shown that children under five who test positive for another respiratory virus are often likely to get worse.

Additionally, they catch more illnesses.

According to a study published on Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics, children hospitalized under the age of five who test positive for Covid and other respiratory viruses have a doubled risk of developing severe respiratory diseases.

The study

Studies were conducted when respiratory infections, including RSV, flu, Covid-19, and others, flooded children’s hospitals.

The results demonstrate the impact these illnesses have on children’s hospitals.

It also demonstrates how continuing to track Covid-19 and other viruses may aid in predicting future spikes in hospitalization.

Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as from other institutions and health agencies around the USA, conducted the study.

Firsthand account

Throughout the pandemic, Jenevieve Silva noted that it might be challenging to care for children with multiple respiratory diseases.

Living in San Jose, California, Silva is a mother of eight children.

Since her twin boys’ preschool enrollment in May 2021 as toddlers, she has had to cope with several illnesses.

“The height of the illness was from September through mid-November, when our household just could not catch a break,” she said.

Her twins tested positive for Covid-19 in October 2022.

Their doctor eventually gave them a diagnosis for what they later learned to be another respiratory ailment, likely brought on by the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

“Based on what the pediatrician told us, she said, ‘I highly believe that they had these overlapping viruses,'” said Silva.

She also went through the following warning signs and symptoms with the boys:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Fatigue
  • Fever

In addition, one twin had a temperature of 105 degrees for four days in a row.

Jenevieve Silva admitted that it was tough to watch her boys go through this, even though warm baths and applying Vicks VaporRub to their backs and chests helped them manage the discomfort.

“They had just looked so frail – they looked sick, like something deeper than back-to-back viruses,” noted Silva.

“It was hell. I mean, it was really bad.”

Read also: Kids in sports: how you can protect them and still let them have fun

Aftermath

The illnesses that Jenevieve Silva’s boys had were ultimately treated.

Even though they are doing well today and have put on a lot of weight, she is still anxious that their fevers may have caused them to get asthma.

Silva said the doctor noted that since October, when the twins’ illnesses overlapped, it seemed to have potentially induced asthma.

When they get a cold, the children may develop asthma symptoms, such as coughing and vomiting.

“I can’t be the only mom dealing with virus after virus,” Silva said.

“Be patient. Listen to your doctor.”

Data

Four thousand three hundred seventy-two kids hospitalized with Covid-19 are included in the most recent study’s data.

In 21% of individuals with additional respiratory viruses analyzed, a codetection—the presence of many other viruses—was discovered.

Researchers stated that rather than coinfection, they were concentrating on codetection.

Even though both viruses tested positive, it’s plausible that the kids weren’t genuinely ill.

The study found minimal respiratory virus detections in the first year of the pandemic.

Few instances of influenza were reported during the first two years of the pandemic, but RSV and rhinovirus (or enterovirus) infections surged during the Delta-predominant phase.

The majority of kids with codetections, according to data, were under five years old.

Additionally, they were more likely to need additional oxygen support and admission to intensive care units.

Young infants that test positive for RSV frequently develop life-threatening illnesses with Covid.

Pandemic lessons

The children, who were diagnosed with Covid-19 and other viral codetections, typically needed critical care and oxygen support, according to Dr. Ascuncion Mejias, an associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“Covid is a very proinflammatory virus, so it really weakens your immune response,” said Mejias.

“And when you haven’t recovered yet, and you get a second hit, in this case, RSV or rhinovirus, you develop a more severe disease.”

The findings of this study, in the opinion of Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Disease, highlight the need to make sure that children get their vaccines on schedule.

Mejias shared her perspective and underlined the need for safe procedures to minimize the spread of illnesses to infants too young to get vaccinations.

“The pandemic taught us how contagious these viruses are,” said Mejias. “If somebody is sick, try to avoid contact.”

“These viruses are not only transmitted by saliva and secretions, but by hands. It can survive in your hands for more than 30 minutes.”

“So if you touch your mouth and then touch a little baby, the baby can self inoculate the virus and become infected.”

“So washing hands and all these measures are very important.”

Reference:

When young children test positive for Covid-19 and another respiratory virus, their illness may be much more severe, a new study suggests

How Fighting All Monsters Is Helping Cancer Patients’ Families Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Celebrity insider and FAM founder Milk Tyson is having his busiest year yet. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fighting All Monsters has broken its own records but continues to raise and distribute funds while creating meaningful experiences and connections for families. But it’s all part of his mission to emulate the inspiring grit, perseverance, and fight of children battling cancer.

Fighting All Monsters (FAM) is a nonprofit organization that assists children with cancer and their families. As it rolls into its second year of operation, FAM is determined to go full speed ahead on its mission to bring quality support to families with children facing life-threatening challenges. The nonprofit has since raised over $1 million dollars, with each dollar going directly to families in need.

Though there are hundreds of cancer foundations, there’s nothing quite like FAM. A typical nonprofit would have strict requirements, requesting piles of personal details, paperwork, and prejudiced hoops to jump through just to get children with cancer the life-saving assistance they need.

On the other hand, FAM understands that time is of the utmost importance to families fighting cancer, so the organization requests only a one-time introduction form that can qualify them for lifelong support. These candidates are then brought to a “For Moms, From Moms” panel consisting of bereaved mothers, mothers in the depths of their child’s active treatment, and survivor’s moms. These mothers make up the committee that oversees referrals and all new families who come to the foundation.

Additionally, FAM appeals to donors who want to get donations directly to families—not go through hoops of red tape. It is not unheard-of for the team at FAM to receive an emergency request and have much-needed funds in that family’s hands the very same day.

The nonprofit has donated hundreds of new iPads to kids in treatment while keeping their families’ lights on, their mortgages and rents current, and their cars on the road. FAM has paid for accommodations and flights to facilitate life-saving treatments. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit has gone the extra mile to provide emergency relief to countless families in need.

Gearing for the holidays, the organization is on track to repeat a thirty-family $30,000 giveaway in September and a hundred-family “Christmas Will Never Be the Same” $100,000 giveaway in December.

FAM kids were famously featured on the Ellen show in February to dance with Diddy and hosted an afterparty to celebrate in the Hollywood Hills with special guests, including David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.

Milk Tyson aims to keep FAM a consistent force of support for families of children with cancer. As an industry disruptor, he knows that the majority of cancer foundations cannot keep operating with the same outdated formula for enticing donors and red tape that keeps millions of life-saving donations locked away or delayed. In the future, he aims to be able to relieve families of financial stressors for months at a time. In the future, FAM also plans to support families’ mental health by giving them access to appropriate therapies and platforms to connect families going through the same experiences.

Read more about Fighting All Monsters on its website. Stay updated on the organization’s latest projects through their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

Rebecca Everlene Trust Company Empowers Parents through Modern Solutions

Parenthood is a beautiful yet exasperating journey. Raising a person is not at all easy, and surely, it is not for the faint-hearted. 

No matter how dearly parents love their children, there will always be days when things do not make sense, and all they want is to tear their hair out in frustration. Trudging through parenthood is tough, but sometimes, all it takes is the right amount of support and time for themselves that parents need to sail through these stormy moments. These struggles have been magnified by the global pandemic, as it has affected our daily lives in countless ways. Many parents are stuck and left to wonder, what is the future going to look like after COVID-19?

Among the emerging digital solutions to the restrictions now in place due to the virus are several solutions targeted towards parents. The Rebecca Everlene Trust Company, founded by Tamara Daniels,  is one company that is at the forefront of this.

Tamara is a business manager with a background from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. She is passionate about improving processes and people through team building and organizational leadership and is also a talented recruiter and trainer for top talents.

The Rebecca Everlene Trust Company is an international non-profit organization providing virtual sitters and educational opportunities to families with children through its various programs. Among these programs are the Intellectual Practice Learning and Surviving College Financially. 

The company’s programs allow children to receive subject-specific coaching, which is done virtually, by “Kid Watchers”—people who are passionate about kids, some of which are high schoolers, teachers, and professional counselors. Aside from this, the company has also recently expanded its offerings to include education on financial literacy with the People Helping People program and support to those struggling with infertility through the Smitten & Hitch Co-Parenting program.

“The demand for sitters is projected to increase by 700% over the next few years,” the company writes on its website. “Intellectual Practice Learning provides quality company, on a virtual level, to families who want to keep their little ones entertained while they work from home, cook dinner or have a glass of wine.” The Rebecca Everlene Trust Company believes that parents, human as they are, need breaks every now and then, and so do older siblings who usually lookout for the younger ones. Through Intellectual Practice Learning and the help of their dedicated Kid Watchers, the company can bring to life children’s imaginary friends by giving them a real live person to talk to and care for them. These sessions are done in 30-60 minute incremental offerings, with the first 30 minutes being free for first-timers.

These programs, founded in 2012, were the result of recognizing an overwhelming need to promote the advancement of publications and inventions among young people. The company believes that students who show potential should not be limited in pursuing their dreams. In line with this, students who are enrolled in Intellectual Practice Learning will also have the chance to receive assistance in pursuing their ambitions of becoming patented inventors, published authors, and young entrepreneurs. 

Sources of funding for the company’s initiatives include donations made to the Rebecca Everlene Trust Company, subsidized program fees for students enrolled in Intellectual Practice Learning, and the sale and marketing of successful student projects.

Since COVID-19 arrived, the company has made efforts to adjust and customize some of its services to aid those confined at home. Chief of Chatting—a virtual friend for kids to weather the pandemic with, Number Ninja—providing number exercises and basic homework solutions, and Storyteller—a virtual nanny who will read the story of your choice to your little ones, are some of the offerings it has branched out to most recently.

To connect with the Rebecca Everlene Trust Company, visit their website and Facebook page.