1/23/2007
Here’s something most parents ask at some point. Your child is sent home from school with a sore throat, cough, and high fever - could it be the flu that's been going around? Or is it just a common cold? It's not always easy to tell the difference between the two. So here are a few differences between the flu and just a cold. First, did the symptoms come on quickly, does your child have a fever, are they severely exhausted, do they have a dry cough, sore throat, achy head, decreased appetite, achy muscles and chills? If you said yes to all of these symptoms, most likely your child has the flu. However, keep in mind, everybody is different, so it’s best to call your child’s doctor.
The good news, if caught within the first 48 hours, your child's flu may respond to an antiviral medicine, which can shorten the course of your child's infection by 1 or 2 days. And if your child's doctor says it's not the flu? Ask him or her whether your child should get a flu shot. The flu shot is still available at St. John’s Express Care locations.
For more information or to find a physician, call St. John’s Referral One at 625-2000 or log onto stj.com.
