“Recurrent fever?”
Two of my kids (aged 6 & 4) were diagnosed with a bad cold virus that has brought a recurrent fever with it for almost 3 weeks. Both tested on two different occasions for flu, strep, and covid, negative both times. Is this normal for a viral infection? They are both on prescribed cough syrup and antibiotics.
Female | 6 years old
Complaint duration: 18
Medications: mucinex, cough syrup, flonase, antibiotic
Conditions: cough, cold symptoms, fever
1 Answer
Children this age typically get 1-2 upper respiratory/viral infections per MONTH, and each one lasts 10-14 days. Therefore, it seems like your child has been sick for weeks when actually, they are sick, get well for 1-2 days and then come down with something else. Fever is > 100.4 under the arm or in the mouth. Many think that a temp of 99 is a fever, but it's not. Fever itself is not dangerous -- it's a natural body response and helps to heal. However, finding the CAUSE of the fever can be important. There are many different viral infections that are currently going around. The tests that have been done tell you what your children do NOT have, not what they DO have. Antibiotics are indicated for BACTERIAL infections and
are not only worthless but potentially harmful when taken with a viral infection. And from a public health perspective, the inappropriate and widespread use of antibiotics is contributing to antibiotic resistance as well as other harms. "Cough medicine" merely suppresses the child's urge to cough, which is bad. Coughing is how the body expels mucus and other foreign substances in the lungs and respiratory tract. To prevent that keeps all that stuff in there to get worse, not better.
Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP
are not only worthless but potentially harmful when taken with a viral infection. And from a public health perspective, the inappropriate and widespread use of antibiotics is contributing to antibiotic resistance as well as other harms. "Cough medicine" merely suppresses the child's urge to cough, which is bad. Coughing is how the body expels mucus and other foreign substances in the lungs and respiratory tract. To prevent that keeps all that stuff in there to get worse, not better.
Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP
