BALTIMORE — Doctors are calling it a tripledemic, this winter we are fighting against covid, the flu, and RSV, which is heavily impacting children. Unfortunately, stores can't meet the demand.
Dr. Susie Lipton is the head of infectious diseases at the Herman and Walter Samuelson children's hospital at Sinai and she says right now the flu, COVID, and RSV, which is a respiratory virus, has severely impacted children.
This is why shelves are mostly empty. The biggest shortage pharmacies are reporting on is children's Tylenol and Ibuprofen.
"I know that people are talking about herbals, but the danger in that is many herbals could contain the same chemical as baby aspirin or large quantities of other medicines that can interfere. You will want to stay away from baby aspirin. It's delicious and it's dangerous. It can give you something called Reye's syndrome. It's a swelling of the brain that can cause injury and even death. You want to stay away from baby aspirin for fever and pain control," said said Dr. Lipton.
However, there are some good natural remedies that can help mild cases.
"Ordinary herbal teas like lemon tea or chamomile tea in a store bought in a package. The ones that contain tea only can sometimes be soothing as can chicken soup. Over one year of age, honey is wonderful for coughs, humidifiers are fabulous. Put them near the bed so that you actually feel the moisture, getting the house temperature down. Take it down from 68 or 70, down to 65 or 66 at night," said Dr. Lipton.
There’s no word on when the shortage will end, but doctors say it's important to communicate with your pediatrician so they can help you come up with a plan for your child.
