Primary Children’s Hospital inundated with respiratory viruses


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SALT LAKE CITY — Respiratory viruses are spreading like wildfire in Utah children, according to doctors at Primary Children’s Hospital. Last week alone, Intermountain Healthcare treated 595 cases of respiratory viruses in kids.

Donovan and Serenity Daffinrud are two of those patients. Donovan, age 3, had multiple respiratory viruses.

“He had a high fever; he was actually really pale. He actually turned a bluish, whitish, gray color and he was losing oxygen,” said Appearlelle Daffinrud, the children's mother.

Little Serenity was struggling too, though her illness wasn't as severe.

“She was having difficulty breathing, but she was coughing a lot and wouldn’t stop coughing continuously. Her eye’s were really droopy and tired,” Daffinrud said.

Dr. Charles Pruitt, a pediatric emergency physician at Primary Children’s Hospital, said it’s very important parents look for warning signs.

“If (children are) starting to develop some skin color changes of the face, or even a bluish color — that’s very serious. At that point, you really need to come to the emergency department," Pruitt said. “Inflammation of the breathing tubes gets so severe that oxygen can’t get into the lungs, into the tissues of the body, so vital organs aren’t getting enough oxygen.”

Unfortunately, these viruses don’t respond to antibiotics or steroids, Pruitt said. Doctors mostly treat the symptoms and carefully monitor oxygen levels until kids recover. In severe cases, they prescribe breathing tubes.

Daffinrud said her children’s illnesses started out as common colds.

“When they did the swab they said, ‘Oh my gosh, we’ve never seen this many viruses on one kid.’ That was just (Serenity),” Daffinrud said. “They swabbed (Donovan) and said they have to do an X-ray on him. He’s not doing well.”

Doctors say the best way to protect your children from respiratory illness is to wash your hands and teach them to do so too. Viruses can live on hands and surfaces for several hours and spread easily, Pruitt said.

Good coughing hygiene is also important. Teach kids to cough into their elbows, covering their mouths without spreading germs onto their hands.

Also, avoid others who are sick.

“If you know there’s a lot of viruses going around your child’s daycare, maybe keep your child out of daycare for that day or two,” Pruitt said. “Encourage daycare providers to wash their hands.”

The elderly and the very young are most at risk for respiratory infections.

“In a newborn infant, it can be very dangerous," Pruitt said. "Under a month of age, under 2 months of age, these children can actually stop breathing."

Donovan and Serenity were on the mend Friday, doctors said. They will likely be going home soon, with oxygen tanks to help them breath at night.

RSV season lasts through April.

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Heather Simonsen

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