San José, Costa Rica. August, 2015.

Diarrheas and infections of the upper airways are the viral diseases that children in pre-school and school ages present more frequently, and although any person may suffer from these, generally the younger the minor the greater the risk.

Viruses are the infectious agents guilty of causing these diseases that are highly contagious, that affect all age groups and are self-limited, they can go from adult to child and vice versa, so that it is recommended to take the proper precautions.

According to Dr. Jorge Martinez, pediatrician of the Clinica Biblica Hospital, “the symptoms depend on the type of virus, but generally they cause fever, headache and a slight attack on the general condition. Other signs will depend on the type of virus: if they attack the respiratory system, there is rhinorrhea or coughing; if they are digestive, vomit and diarrhea.

In case the child suffers from the virus, the best thing is not to send him/her to school while he/she is sick, have him/her wash his/her hands frequently, and use medication for fever and supply liquids. It is not recommended to medicate with antibiotics that have not been prescribed, since they could not work and make the bacteria more resistant.

“When the fever is persistent or there is difficulty for breathing, or the child does not want to eat, vomits or has a lot of diarrhea, seek medical assistance. The increase of the body temperature may cause convulsions, whilst dehydration may occur in cases of vomit or diarrhea,” commented Dr. Martinez.

In very small children, breast-feeding is important, as well as having a full immunization schedule and not bringing the child to where there are ill persons. And as already mentioned, upon detecting the signs of alarm, do not send them to school and keep them in an adequate state of hydration.            

The diagnosis of these diseases, most of the times is clinical, but there are also tests like a hemogram and there are methods to determine some types of virus.