Nasty Virus Sickening Magic Valley Kids Resistant To Home Meds

As many Idaho kids are enjoying the first week off from school for the holiday break, they are unfortunately not well and getting hit hard by a virus that only fluids and bed rest can fix. Southern Idaho quick-stop health clinics and emergency rooms have been hit hard in the last six weeks by visits from children and adults all battling the same nasty illness.

In the past three months, my seven-year-old son has Covid-19, croup, and is now bedridden with the virus that has been rising in the Gem State since early November. He's missed 14 days of school since he started the first grade in September. The hacking and fevers just won't quit.

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Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a stubborn, throat-assaulting, nasty virus that is sweeping through the country and knocking kids out of school for up to a full week and more. The one saving grace is that many Idaho kids are on Christmas vacation and are able to recover at home under parental supervision. The main symptoms are a nightly fever, severe coughing, sore throat, sinus distress, labored breathing, and diminished appetite, according to Cedars-Sinai.

Our bathroom cabinet is stocked with every over-the-counter medicine ever created, and none are having an impact. The terrible thing about RSV is that there really isn't much healthcare providers can do except prescribe a bronchodilator. In Idaho, reports of cases began to substantially increase around the second week of November.