Pediatrician Aytan Ismayilzade has urged parents not to treat children with antibiotics or expectorants without medical guidance as families report cough, sore throat, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
Parents interviewed in a television report described a range of symptoms affecting their children, including coughing, sneezing, sore throat, fever, vomiting and rashes.
One parent said sick children were continuing to attend classes. However, the accounts do not establish how widely infections are spreading, and the report provided no official statistics or confirmation of a general outbreak.
Ismayilzade said childhood illnesses may involve weakness, headaches, high fever, abdominal pain, rashes, swollen lymph nodes and coughing fits. Symptoms may also be atypical or mild, making an illness harder to recognize early.
Diagnosis Should Guide Treatment
The pediatrician warned parents not to begin medication at the first sign of a cough. A doctor should assess the child and decide whether an antibiotic is needed, including ordering tests when appropriate.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says antibiotics do not work against viruses and should be used only for certain bacterial infections. Unnecessary use can cause side effects and contribute to antimicrobial resistance.
Similar symptoms do not necessarily mean children have the same illness. Parents should not select treatment based on another child’s symptoms or automatically repeat an earlier prescription.
Source: Vesti Baku