Holidays bring winter respiratory virus concerns for parents

SALINAS, CALIF. (KION-TV)- “For parents, it’s kind of like getting stressful out here,” Parent Essie Saucedo said. “Especially leaving work early.”

Essie Saucedo was holding any medicine she could find on the shelves in Target.

She tells KION how much she wants to see her children recover from their illnesses.

“I just want the kids to get better, you know,” Saucedo said. “I’ve never seen a holiday where so many people are sick and so many kids are sick. It’s like a sad Christmas almost because everyone's just going through this sickness right now, and it’s like…ugh.”

She isn’t the only parent struggling to find medicine on the shelves.

“Like I had a mom in here tell me, well, maybe try CVS on South Main,” Saucedo said. “I tried CVS on South Main, and they didn’t have what I was looking for there. But I don’t know; maybe they’ll have something for somebody else there.”

So what are parents to do if they can’t find what they’re looking for?

Pediatric Hospital Physician for Natividad Hospital, Dr. Reiko Sakai, says prescriptions and over-the-counter medications are not the most important.

“Actually, it’s kind of the opposite,” Sakai said. “Those home remedies and those non-medicine based treatments are actually the mainstay of most of our care for kids with respiratory viruses and with illnesses that can be managed at home in general.”

Dr. Sakai also gave Karl some home remedies ideas like a cool cloth on the forehead for fever and suctioning the mucus from the nostrils to prevent that mucus from reaching the lungs.

Saline can also help break down mucus if needed.

Doctors recommend checking in with their healthcare provider if parents have other questions or concerns.