LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Norton Children's Hospital is seeing a spike in flu cases in children.
Officials with the hospital system said 1,500 cases were confirmed this week, with seven children hospitalized due to the virus.
Dr. Heather Felton said it's not unusual to see a spike after kids come back from winter break.
"They went to see family or friends over the holidays, and then they get back together, and then they start sharing germs again," she said.
Thankfully, there have been no deaths reported from flu in Louisville, but the virus can be deadly. Last year, 200 kids died from flu in the U.S.
Dr. Felton said parents should seek emergency care if their child has had a fever for more than five days, difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, and dehydration.
"Looking like the inside of their mouth is starting to look dry," she said. "Or you can check their capillary refill, where you kind of press down on their fingernail. And if it takes longer than three to four seconds for it to go from like a whitish color back to pink, then these are signs of dehydration. They at least need to be evaluated by their pediatrician."
Norton Children's also came up with a more extensive symptom guide for families to determine next steps when their child show signs of the flu.
For more mild cases of the virus there are some home remedies families can try, like humidifiers for congestion, and Tylenol and ibuprofen for fever or pain.
"And honey is actually my favorite cough syrup. No honey for kids under one, they can't digest it well yet. But for kids older than one, honey is great to help with their cough," Felton said.
Dr. Felton said the best preventative measure is a flu vaccine, even if your child has already gotten the flu this season.
"It also helps to prevent the spread of the virus among the population when more people are vaccinated, so if you see lower rates of vaccination, then you're going to have more cases in the community," Dr. Felton said.
Flu season typically spikes through February but can linger through April.
Other illnesses spiking in the Louisville area include RSV, COVID-19, and a stomach bug called Norovirus.
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