YUKON 1-ON-1
The ‘Tridemic’ Has Arrived in Yukon: What Parents Need to Know
One Yukon Connects with Dr. Katharine Smart to Talk About Why So Many Children Are Getting Sick and What to Watch For
A new and potentially dangerous ‘tridemic’ of respiratory infections (COVID-19, Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus ‘RSV’) is hitting Canada hard, sending more and more kids to the Emergency Department and putting enormous pressure our health care system from coast to coast to coast – and Yukon is by no means immune.
Few medical professionals are better prepared to discuss these challenges than Yukon Pediatrician Dr. Katharine Smart who became a household name (and a trusted voice) as President of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) during an unprecedented global pandemic.
Dr. Smart is now Past President of the CMA, but continues to remind parents and all Yukoners about how to avoid bringing serious respiratory illnesses into their household this winter – try to wear a mask when you can, and GET VACCINATED!
One Yukon’s Mathieya Alatini spoke with Dr. Smart on December 5 to discuss the impact of the ‘tridemic’ on Yukon’s kids, what it will mean for our health care system this winter and what parents need to know about these serious respiratory illnesses in the months ahead.
Here are some highlights from the interview that was recorded on December 5, 2022 and posted on YouTube (shown right):
“How is this spike in cases impacting the health care system, and is this year different than previous years?
“Absolutely it’s different than what we’ve seen in previous years – the number of kids who are getting sick at the same time is a lot higher than what we would typically see.”
“A huge number of kids are seeking care in emergency departments across Canada and in Whitehorse we’re seeing significant absenteeism from school due with kids off sick, a lot more visits to the Emergency Department and more admissions to hospital of kids who are ill.”
“Do these virus present differently and what are the treatements?”
“For all three of the viruses they can look very similar. All of them can cause fever, upper respiratory tract infection (symptoms like runny nose, cough, sore throat) but they can also cause lower respiratory infection, which can lead to pneumonia.”
“It’s important to know that both the flu and COVID have a effective vaccine. If you can prevent getting sick, that’s choice number one. I really encourage people if you haven’t had your child vaccinated for the flu and COVID, now’s a great time… both vaccines are available for children six months and older.”
“As far as treatments go, out of the three viruses the only one we really have a treatment for is influenza. If your child has influenza ideally you’ll want to get Tamiflu early in the course of the illness. This is most important for kids under five and especially kids under two are most at risk of having bad outcomes from influenza, along with children with underlying medical conditions.”
A TRUSTED VOICE. Yukon Pediatrician Dr. Katharine Smart is Past President of the Canadian Medical Association.
PARENTS, THIS IS A MUST-SEE VIDEO. To watch the full interview click on the video above, or visit the One Yukon YouTube channel.
“For parents who live outside of the Whitehorse area and have a sick child, when should they seek medical intervention?”
“If you have a child who is three months or younger that has a fever, they really need to be assessed by a medical professional right away because the risk of bacterial infection is much higher, and some of these viruses can be much more serious in younger babies.”
“In older kids, we worry when there is respiratory distress…if your child is struggling to breathe, is off-colour, showing signs of dehydration, is lethargic or has a fever that lasts for five to seven days…these are signs that something more serious may be going on.”
“Which medications should parents use to treat a fever?”
“There are three main fever reducers, Aspirin is the one that you DON’T want to give to children, especially right now because when you combine Aspirin with the flu in kids it can cause problems with the liver.”
“Both Tylenol and Advil are safe to use in children as fever reducers. Talk to your pharmacist or community nurse about the appropriate dose for your child.”