A doctor's advice to stay healthy as flu season lurks in Bay Area
Surge in RSV and flu cases
FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports on the sick season ramping up in Tampa Bay as doctors begin to see a rise in RSV and flu cases. Doctors at Tampa's Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital weigh in on what flu and RSV symptoms can look like and advise how parents can protect their children this season.
TAMPA, Fla. - As the sick season ramps up, doctors in Tampa Bay are seeing a rise in RSV and flu cases.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital encourage families to watch for the common symptoms of RSV and the flu.
Outside of Tampa's Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
"The common symptoms that almost everybody with RSV or flu gets are coughing, congestion, they may have a fever, they feel terrible, and their appetite is decreased," Dr. Juan Dumois said. "With flu, in particular, you get severe muscle aches."
READ: UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect shouts as he appears in court: video
Dumois says young children and babies are more likely to have severe cases that require hospitalization.
"It gets worse when it gets into your lungs and causes pneumonia," he said. "And that’s what puts people in the hospital."
He says in most of the recent cases they’ve seen, those children get diagnosed and are sent home.
Dumois says RSV cases flare up in October, and flu cases start in December.
READ: New Florida laws take effect Jan. 1: Here’s what to know
He says cases are on track as expected this year.
"In the recent years past, the COVID pandemic really disrupted normal virus seasons," Dumois said. "And, a lot of that had to do with our own behavior, when people were masking and socially isolating."
Dr. Juan Dumois of Tampa's Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Now, doctors say that there are RSV vaccines in addition to a flu vaccine.
Dumois says there’s one vaccine for pregnant women, one for babies whose mothers didn’t get the vaccine during pregnancy, and one for people 65 years and older.
"With regard to the flu vaccines, those can be given to almost anybody who is over six months of age or older," he said. "So it is not late because we are not at peak flu activity yet."
READ: Video: Hillsborough deputies use stop sticks to end 1-4 chase
Naiomi Santiago, a mother, says her nine-year-old daughter ended up in the hospital, fighting for her life, after being diagnosed with the flu last year.
"It's just crazy to believe that something as the flu caused so much trouble," Santiago said.
Santiago says her daughter, Kaydee, got extremely sick last year.
Image of Kaydee Santiago.
In a matter of about a week and a half, she went to the hospital several times before being airlifted to All Children’s Hospital.
"We knew something was wrong with her, and pretty quickly, we found out that she was a lot sicker than what we thought," Santiago said.
READ: Video: 2 dolphins stranded in shallow water lagoon for weeks rescued in Florida
Santiago says the flu had started attacking Kaydee’s heart.
She says, thankfully, Kaydee recovered and is doing well.
With peak flu season still ahead, Santiago shares her message with other families.
"Always advocate for your child, especially when your gut feeling is telling you that something's wrong," she said.
Doctors say flu cases are still rising and are expected to peak in about the next month.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter