<ul class="summary-list"><li>Omicron has been infecting many <keyword id="6354493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="children" source="Orion">children</keyword> as the variant surges worldwide. </li><li>Data is scarce, but experts listed fatigue, headaches, and coughs as the most common symptoms.</li></ul>As waves of the Omicron <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> variant surge around the world, children are falling sick more than they used to.Although it is spreading widely, the variant is causing less severe illness overall, and children are especially unlikely to become seriously ill.Insider spoke to experts and received some early data to help figure out what kind of symptoms kids tend to show from Omicron infections.The most commonly noted were tiredness, sneezing, coughing, or a sore throat.Duncan, a medical professor at King's College London, spoke to Insider about her work tracking symptoms of COVID-19 in children via the long-running <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-half-covid-19-cases-had-vaccine-study-zoe-delta-2021-7">ZOE COVID-19 study</a>.The study uses an app to allow participants to log their symptoms daily.Based on preliminary results from a couple hundred cases of Omicron in kids aged 12-8, Duncan listed the following symptoms: - Fatigue.- Headache.- Sore throat.- Runny nose.- Sneezing.- Fever.- Cough.Other medical experts Insider spoke to noted less common instances of intestinal problems like diarrhea, and rashes.In some cases, kids develop <keyword id="12916702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="croup" source="Orion">croup</keyword>, when an airway infection makes a child sound like a seal or a dog barking when they cough.Duncan noted that her data does not include asymptomatic cases of COVID-19. Most children in Duncan's set had been vaccinated, though she said patterns were "very similar" in unvaccinated children.<keyword id="11894069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccination" source="Orion">Vaccination</keyword> seems to diminish the frequency and length of the symptoms, but it's too soon to know for sure, she said.<h2>View from the frontline</h2>Doctors working with children told Insider this report fits with what they have seen. "Most children are getting upper respiratory/cold-like symptoms, regardless of age," Dr. John McGuire, chief of Seattle Children's pediatric critical care division, told Insider in an email. Intestinal distress symptoms, fever, rashes, are also "good symptoms for parents to monitor for," he said. Dr. Buddy Creech, director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program, said he has also been seeing mostly respiratory symptoms in this wave. Dr. Lisa Saiman, Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said that croup appears to be an Omicron-specific symptom.Saiman said that parents should not be overly worried, despite the concerning sound, as it typically "gets better on its own."Another presentation said Saiman she was seeing in the hospital is bronchiolitis. "These children present with a cough and wheezing and sometimes need to be hospitalized if they are having any difficulty breathing," she said. Both of these symptoms, however, can be caused by other respiratory illnesses. "Take home for parents is that it is very difficult to determine whether cold symptoms or croup-like symptoms are due to <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">COVID</keyword> or other seasonal respiratory viruses," Creech told Insider in an email.

Omicron is infecting more kids than any prior variant. Here are the most common symptoms in children, according to experts.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some children infected with the <keyword id="12616995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron-variant" source="Orion">Omicron variant</keyword> are experiencing croup-like symptoms, NBC <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">News</keyword> reported.</li><li><keyword id="12916702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="croup" source="Orion">Croup</keyword> is an infection in the upper airway that causes a harsh cough that sounds like barking.</li></ul>The <keyword id="12616996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> variant of the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> appears to cause croup in some children under 5, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/omicron-variant-kids-croup-cough-rcna11170">reported</a>.Croup is generally harmless and easy to diagnose, doctors told the news outlet, but it can shock parents who've never been exposed to it. It presents itself as a barking cough that sounds like a dog or a seal. It's an infection in the upper airway, according to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/croup/symptoms-causes/syc-20350348">Mayo Clinic</a>, caused by inflammation of the larynx and trachea in children.It might be common for children to develop croup if they get infected with the Omicron variant, which often settles higher up in the respiratory tract, doctors told NBC News. The airways, therefore, swell up easily in children. "When that happens, there's that characteristic barking cough," said Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease expert who's identified "croup-like presentations" in children who've tested positive for <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword>."Little kids' airways are so narrow that it takes far less inflammation to clog them," Creech said.Children who are infected and who have developed croup will often produce a cough with a harsh sound, caused by breathing through inflamed airways. Doctors elsewhere have also said they've seen cases of croup come up in COVID-positive children. In Alabama, for example, one doctor said most of his patients under 2 are presenting with croup-like symptoms."Toddlers have this raspy and barky cough that we're not seeing with the other variants. We're also seeing something called Bronchiolitis, it is a respiratory illness that causes some kids to have wheezy symptoms and raspy cough," Dr. Peily Soong with Children's of Alabama said in an interview with <a href="https://www.cbs42.com/news/health/coronavirus/pediatrics-see-covid-symptoms-similar-to-croup/">CBS 42</a>.Croup is easy to diagnose, doctors told NBC News. "Croup is a bread and butter pediatric diagnosis," said Dr. Mark Kline, chief physician at Children's Hospital New Orleans. "Infectious croup is one of the first diseases you learn about when you're an intern in pediatrics."

The Omicron variant appears to cause croup, a barking cough, in some children under 5: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hillary Orton's daughter Gracie was born with vascular birthmarks that caused ulcers.</li><li>Her ears and lip fell off when she was an infant, and she was left with lots of scar tissue.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hillary Orton, Gracie's mom. It has been edited for length and clarity.When my daughter Gracie was born, I noticed a little red spot on her face. I thought it might be a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/gina-rodriguez-childbirth-injury-orangetheory-exercise-self-care-2023-5">birth injury</a> and didn't think much of it. We took <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/photographer-friends-themed-newborn-photo-shoot-2020-4">newborn photos</a> of Gracie's perfect face, and we had no idea that it would soon change drastically.Before we left the hospital, we noticed more spots, including one on her ear and one on her lip. Doctors said they might just be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/what-birthmarks-are-and-how-you-get-them-2019-6">birthmarks</a>, but we knew it was more serious when Gracie's spots changed into ulcers or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/infected-cut">open wounds</a>.<div type="image" title="Baby with vascular birthmarks" height="560" width="747" msid="106221028" hostid="261" sizebytes="14724"></div>At nine days old, Gracie developed a terrible cough. My son had croup as a baby, so I thought it was that, but I called my own mother and asked her to listen. She told me to hang up and call the pediatric nurse. When the nurse heard Gracie, she said to call 911 immediately.<h2>We learned that a wound was covering a third of Gracie's airway</h2>I was home alone with my kids when an ambulance arrived at the house to whisk Gracie to the hospital. That's where we first heard Gracie's diagnosis:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/hemangioma#:~:text=A%20hemangioma%20(hee%20man%20jee,exact%20cause%20is%20not%20known."> hemangioma</a>. Hemangiomas are a common type of birthmark caused by too many blood vessels in the skin. They're why some babies have strawberry marks.But Gracie's case was much more serious than a strawberry mark. She had<a target="_blank" href="https://www.vbiny.org/photo-gallery/hemangiomas/segmental/"> segmental hemangioma</a>, which impacts different areas of the face and body. These types of hemangiomas are more likely to become open wounds and destroy tissue. We learned that's what was causing Gracie's terrible cough: she had an ulcerated hemangioma covering 30% of her airway, and it was making it hard for her to breathe.Doctors started Gracie on an adult blood pressure medication that happens to help with hemangiomas. But things were going to get worse before they got better.<h2>A few days later, Gracie's ear fell off in my hand</h2>My baby started breathing easier, but the wounds on her face got worse. When Gracie was two weeks old, her ear fell off. It was surreal to be holding my child's ear in my hand, wondering what I should do.A few weeks later, my mom was giving Gracie a bottle when I looked over and cried, "Where's her lip?" Her bottom lip was just gone. Now, at least, we knew what to do: return to the ER.We spent the entire month of December in the hospital, where I cried and cried by Gracie's bedside. Her ulcerations were just so bad. She was being fed through a tube. I hated to see her in pain, and I was barely hanging in there myself. I lost so much weight that a nurse was concerned I'd have to stop nursing.While the medication helped Gracie, the first 18 months of her life were full of trauma for both of us. Hemangiomas generally grow most during the first years of life, which, for Gracie, meant more ulcers, wounds, and scar tissue. But finally, as she became a toddler, she began to stabilize.<h2>A chance encounter connected me with resources</h2>Eventually, fate stepped in. I was in Goodwill one day, pushing Gracie in a cart. A woman asked if Gracie had a hemangioma and explained her niece had the same condition. I met the niece and her mother at a local park. Through them, I learned about the Vascular Birthmarks Association and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vbiny.org/meet-us/">Milton Waner</a>, a pediatric facial plastic surgeon and hemangioma expert.I emailed Dr. Waner pictures of Gracie and was surprised when he called me back on the phone. I was already fighting with insurance over the medication that Gracie needed, but they wouldn't cover. Dr. Waner explained Gracie needed surgery, or her scar tissue would impact her development. Without a lip, she'd been left with a tiny mouth that made it difficult to speak, eat, or brush her teeth.<div type="image" title="Girl with doctor" height="2268" width="3024" msid="106221029" hostid="261" sizebytes="97082"></div>I wanted Gracie to get the surgery but had no idea how we'd get from our home in Oregon to New York City, let alone pay for the surgery. Our lives changed when I found the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.littlebabyface.org/gracies-journey-with-hemangioma-and-anotia/"> Little Baby Face Foundation</a>, which provides surgery for kids like Gracie with facial deformities.<h2>I love Gracie's face because it makes her who she is</h2>Little Baby Face Foundation has flown us to the Big Apple seven times for seven different surgeries. After the first surgery to widen Gracie's mouth, she was able to do things every toddler wants to do: eat a lollipop and blow bubbles. She could also eat with a fork and properly brush her teeth for the first time.Today, Gracie is 7. She's still growing, so her treatment will evolve as her head and face reach their adult size. Eventually, doctors hope to 3D print ears for Gracie. She'll need many more surgeries along the way, including one planned to help reconstruct her lower lip.Looking at Gracie's face, you can tell she's dealing with something. But I don't focus on her scars, ulcers, or discolorations when I look at her. I just see the face that makes Gracie my strong, unique little girl who can take on the world.She can handle anything, and that makes her beautiful.

My daughter's ear and lip fell off as a baby. I adore her face because it's uniquely hers, and I'm teaching her to do the same.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>When my husband went to Spain for work, my five-month-old and I joined to get out of our comfort zone. </li><li>Traveling with a baby reminded me of solo travel because every small victory felt like a huge win.</li></ul>In the first few weeks after <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/what-i-wished-i-had-done-during-pregnancy-2023-5">having my daughter,</a> Blake, I didn't leave bed, let alone the house. Our four walls became our whole world. Going for a shower felt as ambitious and wonderful as trekking to a waterfall. Meeting a friend for a coffee at a cafe at the end of my road felt like a physical impossibility — those stairs with this pram?!But gradually Blake and I started walking, and walking and walking. With the country still locked down due to the pandemic, there was nowhere else to go anyway. As a travel writer, I wondered if I'd ever get my suitcase out again, or if I might one day show Blake my dusty passport as if it was an antique relic of times gone by.<h2>A chance to travel again felt exciting and overwhelming</h2>And then in April 2021, we had some news. Guy, my partner, had an upcoming work project shooting in Spain, so we decided to decamp there for a few months. Blake was five months old and the thought of whisking her out of our very small comfort zone was daunting. I lay awake at night making list upon list, thinking through all the things that could go wrong. I had to remind myself that in a former life, used to regularly jet around the world with just a few hours' notice and not a care in the world.Stepping foot in the airport for the first time in over a year, I felt as wide-eyed and incredulous as Blake was at all the shiny surfaces, bright lights and so many screens. How did we do this again?But new protocols aside, it turned out boarding a 747 is just like riding a bike. And <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/travel-with-kids-major-mistakes-best-tips-2022-4#skimping-where-it-matters-means-youll-end-up-paying-for-it-later-one-way-or-another-2">traveling with a baby</a> is very similar to traveling solo in that people are much kinder to you. In fact, it's even better than that and a bit like how I imagine celebrities get treated. Every queue was jumped, the cabin crew can't do enough for you, and everyone wants to chat.<h2>Traveling with my daughter felt like a dream</h2>When we landed in Cadiz, a sunny little city right on the tip of Southern Spain, it felt dream-like and surreal after month upon month in London. Guy was driven straight to set so it was just Blake and me, two girls on the road! Like Thelma and Louise, but if one of them kept soiling herself and had only just started eating solids.When we saw the sea for the first time we both started laughing out loud. I felt a surge of adrenaline and a tingle of excitement as I connected with some core part of myself again. All the worries I had melted away, left back at home with our wooly jumpers. I felt like me, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/solo-travel-tips-how-to-stay-positive-feel-less-lonely-2023-9">not just a mother</a>. This was my equivalent of fitting back into your pre-maternity jeans again.<h2>Having a baby actually made exploring a new country easier</h2>With Guy at work most days, Blake and I went exploring. I discovered that if you're new in town and don't speak the language, you don't need a phrase book or Google Translate to get by. You just need a baby. We got more smiles, waves, and free food than I've ever had in my life.Days were spent navigating Blake's pram along windy cobbled streets, staring at grand Moorish buildings and sipping coffees in pretty squares. We went to the market every day to buy lemons as big as Blake's head. We had lunchtime cervezas (me) and siestas (both of us).It was an unforgettable time. And not just because Blake learned to crawl on our cool Spanish tiles. Living in Cadiz was such a positive experience it made me wonder why people don't use their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maternity-leave-in-europe-vs-us-2023-10">maternity and paternity leave</a> to travel more. If you're going to be spending all day in a constant cycle of feeding, wiping, and no lie-ins, you might as well do it somewhere with a better view.<h2>Soon, we needed another holiday but weren't sure if it was possible</h2>When we got back to London we swore that now we'd earned our baby on-board badge, we'd make regular trips away as a family. And then Blake started nursery and we got Covid, and chickenpox, and croup, and what felt like every other illness known to man and — in the case of foot and mouth disease — beast.By the time January rolled around, I felt like I'd been sentenced to wipe dried-on porridge off a high chair every day for the rest of my life. We needed a holiday. A proper holiday. Staycations are great and all, but this called for sunshine and cocktails and lying by a swimming pool, stat. But was any of that even possible with a toddler in tow?We decided to fly to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/visited-went-to-every-country-in-the-world-favorites-2023-11">Mauritius</a>. I'd visited this island off the coast of East Africa many years ago for work, but in true press trip style, I'd only spent a few days there. From what I remembered, it ticked our beaches and palm trees boxes. But it also had a really interesting mix of cultures and tasty food. Plus, with just a four-hour time difference, it seemed a good place for a baby. I was also intrigued to see more of the spot where Jeanne Baret, the first woman to sail around the world, had settled after traveling the world disguised as a man.<h2>My suitcases held raisins and rice cakes when they used to hold bikinis and beach reads</h2>Summoning the courage for our first long-haul flight took every ounce of my professional traveler expertise. But packing with a one-year-old felt very different from my solo trips. While once my tiny carry-on would've been stuffed with bikinis and beach reads, now I had three suitcases, one containing an entire compartment just for raisins and rice cakes. And although it wasn't a holiday as I'd known it before (I have never been less tanned or read fewer books), it was a whole new kind of adventure.Traveling with a baby is weirdly similar to solo travel in that every small victory feels huge. It has that same intensity to it, making memories emotional and vivid. I hope I'll never forget dancing on the beach with Blake at sunset or pointing out fruit bats to her like they were ducks in the park. Toddlers love water and the fact it was now the shallow end of a swimming pool and not a freezing cold puddle in the park upgraded my quality of life no end. Blake greedily drank up the new scenery, and said "flower" for the first time, while pointing at a lotus (Jeanne Baret would be proud).Of course, there were also moments that were, for want of a better word, a total shitshow. Hand-washing poo out of a sleeping bag in the bathroom sink in our Mauritius hotel room probably wasn't my idea of holiday heaven. On our first night in a hotel in Spain, we were so scared of waking her in the bedroom that we sat on the floor in the bathroom and ate cold takeaway pizza. There were times on the 12-hour flight when it seemed like it would never end. But on the whole, I'm pleased to report that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/surprising-things-about-moving-to-europe-from-us-barcelona-spain">traveling with a small child</a> is not only possible but infinitely pleasurable.Excerpted from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=3f71c2dee0aa2bccc31f3f1d6ec31bb184779c0b40a87f4690f3b39f9aeb3459&amp;postID=657c9dcd691ac4e99676e85c&amp;postSlug=solo-traveler-surprised-how-much-she-like-traveling-with-baby-2023-12&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTrip-Ones-Own-Heartbreak-Traveling%2Fdp%2F1728255279%2Fref%3Dasc_df_1728255279%2F%3Ftag%3Dhyprod-20%26linkCode%3Ddf0%26hvadid%3D598277352385%26hvpos%3D%26hvnetw%3Dg%26hvrand%3D1189945530152872100%26hvpone%3D%26hvptwo%3D%26hvqmt%3D%26hvdev%3Dc%26hvdvcmdl%3D%26hvlocint%3D%26hvlocphy%3D9007905%26hvtargid%3Dpla-1658659623268%26psc%3D1">"A Trip of One's Own: Hope, Heartbreak, and Why Traveling Solo Could Change Your Life" </a>(Sourcebooks, May 3, 2022). Reprinted with permission from Sourcebooks.

As a travel writer, I've taken many solo trips. I was surprised at how much I loved traveling with my baby.

Because of their small and relatively collapsible airways, young children with <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> are more vulnerable to upper airway infection such as croup, which if severe can lead to cardiac arrest, finds a study. Croup is a type of respiratory illness, known medically as laryngotracheitis, in babies and young children. It is characterised by barking cough, and noisy breathing. In severe cases, it can dangerously constrict breathing. A team of researchers from Universities of Colorado and Northwestern in the US, examined 18,849 children hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2. Their results published in the JAMA Pediatrics showed that upper airways infection increased during the Omicron surge. More than one-fifth of children hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 and upper airways infection in the US developed severe disease. About 384 had upper airway infection. Severe disease, defined as requiring invasive ventilation, vasopressors, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or death, occurred in 81 children. The study also found that children with upper airways infection during the Omicron period were more likely to be younger and less likely to receive dexamethasone or develop severe disease compared with those in the pre-Omicron period. "Children with severe upper airway infection are at risk of cardiac arrest from rapid-onset upper airway obstruction. They may require therapies typically provided in intensive care units, including frequent administration of nebulized racemic epinephrine, helium-oxygen mixtures, and intubation," said the researchers including <keyword id="13642831" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="blake-martin" source="Orion">Blake Martin</keyword>, from Department of Pediatrics at University of Colorado's School of Medicine. "While the rate of SARS-CoV-2 paediatric upper airway infection is not overwhelmingly high, understanding this new clinical phenotype and the potential for acute upper airway obstruction may help guide therapeutic decision-making," they added. After being detected from African countries in November last year, Omicron soon gained presence worldwide and became the dominant strain, replacing <keyword id="6383835" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="delta" source="Orion">Delta</keyword>. It became dominant in the US the week ending December 25. "Omicron is known to cause lower severity disease than the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. This may be because Omicron replicates less efficiently in lung parenchyma and more efficiently in the conducting airways," the researchers said. The team explained that SARS-CoV-2 can cause severe paediatric disease, including acute Covid-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Published reports associating SARS-CoV-2 with upper airway infection, such as laryngotracheobronchitis (croup), have been limited to small case series. Although non coronaviruses, including parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, most frequently cause upper airway infection, coronaviruses (eg, type NL63) are also commonly implicated. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tata-power-renewable-raises-4000-crore-shares-down-over-5-on-profit-booking/articleshow/90910230.cms">Tata Power Renewable raises ₹4,000 crore; shares down over 5% on profit booking</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-and-swiggy-are-now-backing-restaurant-management-company-urbanpiper/articleshow/90908052.cms">Zomato and Swiggy invest in this restaurant management company that fulfils 2 in 10 food deliveries in India</a>

Omicron increases the risk of upper airway infections and cardiac arrest in children, shows study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US recorded nearly 1 million child <keyword id="8785701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-cases" source="Orion">COVID-19 cases</keyword> last week — its highest-ever weekly count.</li><li>Omicron has made pediatric cases more prevalent, but it doesn't appear to be more virulent in <keyword id="11903370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kids" source="Orion">kids</keyword>.</li></ul>More US <keyword id="6354493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="children" source="Orion">children</keyword> got COVID-19 last week than in any other week of the <keyword id="11896136" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic" source="Orion">pandemic</keyword>.The US recorded more than 981,000 child COVID-19 cases from January 7 to January 13, according to <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/">a Tuesday report</a> from the American Academy of <keyword id="6395891" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pediatrics" source="Orion">Pediatrics</keyword> (AAP). That's a nearly 70% increase from the week prior, and triple the number of child COVID-19 cases recorded in the last week of December. Since states report kids' health data differently, age ranges vary, but the data generally include kids from birth up to age 17-20. Disease experts attribute the pediatric surge to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-common-symptoms-vs-other-variants-charts-2022-1">Omicron</a> variant, which drove COVID-19 cases among all age groups to record highs this month: The US recorded more than 1.4 million new cases on January 10, its highest-ever daily count. A combination of school outbreaks and low pediatric vaccination rates — including among kids who are vaccine-eligible — may also be facilitating the virus' spread in young people.Vaccines still protect children from hospitalization and death, experts said, but Omicron may result in a unique set of symptoms among kids."The virus is a different beast right now in terms of the clinical manifestations that we're seeing in children," Dr. Erlinda Ulloa, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Irvine, told Insider.Ulloa said children with COVID-19 at her hospital are reporting more overall symptoms than they were with the Alpha and Delta variants. She's also seeing more instances of croup and bronchiolitis — infections commonly associated with respiratory viruses — among unvaccinated kids under age 5.The virus is "changing its presentation," Dr. Sunanda Gaur, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, told Insider. "But we can't say that Omicron is more severe in unvaccinated [people] if we compare it to, let's say, Delta."<h2>Most kids still have mild symptoms, but croup and bronchiolitis are becoming more common</h2><div type="image" title="Students return to school in New York City." height="3840" width="5769" msid="89026263" hostid="261"></div>Since the pandemic started, children have represented around 18% of total COVID-19 cases in the US, according to the AAP report. But children made up 21% of reported weekly COVID-19 cases between January 7 and January 13.As more kids get infected, the number of pediatric hospitalizations has also gone up. A month ago, around 300 children under age 18 were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the US. As of Tuesday, the number of hospitalized children with COVID-19 had risen to 930, according to <a href="https://healthdata.gov/Hospital/Pediatric-COVID-19-Hospitalizations-by-State/n5sm-z9rn">data</a> from the US Department of Health and Human Services."Most kids that are admitted just happen to be PCR-positive and admitted for another reason — maybe 20-30% are admitted for acute COVID," Dr. Jennifer Lighter, an associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU School of Medicine, told Insider. Among children who got COVID-19, 0.02% or fewer died from the disease as of January 13, the AAP report found."For the most part, children have milder symptoms than adults," Gaur said. "Typically, if they're otherwise healthy and don't have any underlying conditions such as obesity or diabetes or asthma, any sort of congenital disorders, they don't get many complications."Gaur said she would classify both croup and bronchiolitis as mild symptoms. But some doctors aren't sure if COVID-19 is the root cause of these respiratory infections."Some of these kids are probably dually infected with other viruses that typically cause croup and bronchiolitis at this time of the year. So it's really hard to untangle the impact of COVID specifically on those diagnoses," Dr. Mark Sawyer, an infectious disease specialist at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, told Insider.The rapid spike in child COVID-19 cases also makes it likely that doctors will encounter a wider array of symptoms, he added."We're sort of dwarfed by the overall numbers," Sawyer said. "More and more kids are coming in of all descriptions."<h2>Doctors still worry about kids under 5 who aren't vaccine-eligible</h2><div type="image" title="school kids elementary school children" height="2377" width="3977" msid="89026264" hostid="261"></div>Disease experts said their vaccinated patients are faring much better than unvaccinated ones."The kids that are fully vaccinated do not end up in the hospital," Ulloa said, adding, "I don't have any child that's in the ICU that's vaccinated."But they worry about severe outcomes in kids under 5, who aren't eligible for vaccines yet. Some of these kids also attend school or daycare in person, where they face a high risk of exposure to the virus.Vaccines for little ones could still be several months away. Pfizer, which is studying two ultra-low doses of its vaccine among kids ages 2-5 in clinical trials, recently found that its 3-microgram dosage <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-says-covid-vaccine-fails-in-children-2-5-booster-2021-12">didn't offer enough protection for that age group</a>. In comparison, kids ages 5-11 receive 10 micrograms per dose, and adults get 30 micrograms. In <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-provide-update-ongoing-studies-covid-19">a statement last month</a>, Pfizer said it was considering adding a third dose to the regimen for babies and toddlers.Experts also worry about low vaccination rates among kids overall. Just 19% of kids ages 5-11 have had two vaccine doses as of Wednesday, according to <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-demographics-trends">data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."I don't want any child getting severe disease, but also I just want kids' lives back to normal," Lighter said. "Kids should be in schools. Kids should be back to having an active life. They shouldn't have to be isolating because of exposures in the classroom."

Omicron is a 'different beast' in kids, but it doesn't seem more dangerous, disease experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Working in an inpatient psychiatric unit taught me lessons that helped me after I became a mom.</li><li>I now feel confident in asking for help when I need it.</li></ul>Early in my social-work career, I worked in a locked inpatient psychiatric unit. My patients were suffering from debilitating <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/what-is-depression">depression</a>, crippling <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/what-is-anxiety">anxiety</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/parenting/postpartum-psychosis">psychosis</a>, and a variety of debilitating mental illnesses. I loved the work.I loved getting to know my patients — the people they were when they weren't struggling with overwhelming thoughts and confusing feelings — and finding ways to connect with and support them. I found great meaning in helping their families make sense of their loved ones' diseases and get through the crisis. <h2>I learned a lot in that job</h2>In the years I spent working in the unit, I learned a number of powerful lessons that would serve me well once I became a mother. Sleep is a powerful remedy. We don't have to believe everything we think. There's no shame in taking medication for a mental illness. We all need support in challenging times.Despite how much I loved my job, the work was sometimes scary. Sometimes, my patients or their visitors behaved in unpredictable, threatening, or violent ways. After one particularly harrowing experience in which a young man exploded during a meeting and lashed out physically, the attending physician took me aside and gave me one of the most useful pieces of advice I've ever received: "Never be scared alone." The doctor said those words in passing, but they meant more to me than she'd ever know. She not only offered me useful advice for those moments when I was paralyzed by fear but also let me know I wasn't alone in being scared and that it was OK to feel that way.My fear wasn't a sign that I was doing anything wrong. It's just what happens sometimes.<h2>What I learned was even more helpful when I became a mother</h2>Now that I'm a mother, that advice has saved my sanity more times than I can count. When I couldn't feel the baby kicking, I called my midwife. When my infant's cough sounded weird in the middle of the night, and I couldn't figure out whether it was croup or not, I woke up my husband. When I was scared for no clear reason, when the fear was vague but no less relentless, I texted my friends. And when I thought I was losing my mind, and I wasn't sure what to do about any of it, I made an appointment with my therapist.So I've learned to reach out. It's not always easy, even with friends and family who know well and love me always. But over the years, I've found that when I reach out in times of fear, one of two things is likely to happen. In the luckiest of moments, there's a solution or a clear path forward. More often, though, there is no easy answer, but at least I know I'm not alone. It's so tempting to burrow into my fear and hide in it until it passes, but I have learned not to do that. Fear loves nothing as much as a dark, lonely corner to flourish in. It expands to fill whatever space we give it, and it's so easy to feel stuck and powerless when that happens. But fear doesn't do well in the light, and the best way to shine a light on it is to share it with someone else.Carla Naumburg is a clinical social worker and the author of four parenting books, including "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FYou-Are-Not-Parent-Self-Compassion%2Fdp%2F1523517115">You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break</a>."

I'm a social worker and a mom. The best parenting advice I learned was from my patients at an inpatient psychiatric unit.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9740457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</keyword> compared businesses choosing not to serve the <keyword id="10679990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unvaccinated">unvaccinated</keyword> to racial <keyword id="6406977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="SEGREGATION">segregation</keyword>.</li><li>Greene tweeted this controversial take just a month after she apologized for comparing mask mandates to the <keyword id="6504422" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="holocaust">Holocaust</keyword>.</li><li>Earlier this month, she went back to comparing Biden's door-to-door <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> campaign to the Nazis.</li></ul>Controversial Georgia lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene compared businesses choosing not to serve unvaccinated people to racial segregation.In a <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1419489724985643008?s=20">tweet</a> on July 26, Greene referenced an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRmwgxhJdpO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Instagram post</a> made by the <a href="https://atlanta.eater.com/2021/7/26/22594240/argosy-atlanta-restaurant-vaccinated-diners-only-policy-attack-marjorie-taylor-greene">Argosy restaurant</a>, a <a href="http://argosy-east.com/">bar and burger joint</a> located in the East Atlanta Village area of Georgia. The post showed a sign put up in the restaurant's window that read "No Vax No Service." "This is called segregation," Green tweeted. "Will you be testing everyone at the door for the flu, strep throat, stomach bugs, colds, meningitis, aids, venereal diseases, Hep A, Hep C, staff (sic) infections, athletes foot, pink eye, croup, bronchitis, ringworm, scabies, or any other contagions?"Greene was comparing a choice made by a privately-owned business not to serve unvaccinated people to <a href="https://eji.org/reports/segregation-in-america/">Jim Crow-era racial segregation</a>, which purposefully separated Black Americans from white people, forcing them to use different facilities. Remnants of segregation continue to rear their head today, particularly in <a href="https://www.insider.com/pete-buttigieg-is-right-racism-is-built-into-american-infrastructure-2021-4">infrastructure</a> and <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2019/08/07/472617/systemic-inequality-displacement-exclusion-segregation/">housing</a>. <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/argosy-coronavirus-vaccination-requirement-threats">Fox 5 Atlanta</a> reported that the Argosy restaurant received angry comments and death threats since they put their "No Vax No Service" sign up last week. However, the establishment's owners are sticking to their guns, telling the <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> outlet they put the sign up after several restaurant staff caught COVID, which forced them to close their business."We weren't setting out to offend anyone. We aren't by any stretch promoting mandatory vaccinations. We feel very strongly that this is no different from a no shirt, no shoes, no service policy," Argosy co-owner Armando Celentano told Fox 5 Atlanta. "It's something that public health science shows lowers our chances of contracting and spreading the coronavirus."Earlier this year, Greene likened <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-covid-vaccine-holocaust-comparison-2021-5">vaccine documentation</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-pelosi-mentally-ill-house-mask-rules-holocaust-2021-5">mask mandates</a> to Jews being required to wear yellow stars during the Holocaust. She later <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1404561740365537283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404561740365537283%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fmtg-mask-mandates-are-form-of-discrimination-democrats-are-nazis-2021-621-6">made a surprise visit to the Holocaust Museum</a> and held a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WTXLABC27/videos/542521616914947">press conference</a> to apologize for the comparison.But just weeks after making that apology after her Holocaust Museum visit, Greene was back at it on July 7 - <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/07/psaki-mtg-nazi-comparison-498515">comparing the Biden administration's vaccine campaign</a> <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-nazi-germany-ajcongress-brown-shirts-1607540">to the "brownshirts,"</a> a Nazi paramilitary force called the <a href="https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/sturmabteilung">Sturmabteilung</a>. And for spreading COVID misinformation and claiming falsely that COVID is not dangerous for those who are obese or under the age of 65, Greene was on July 20 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-greene-suspended-twitter-covid-19-not-dangerous-claim-2021-7">slapped with a Twitter suspension for 12 hours</a>. Meanwhile, COVID cases in Georgia have gone up by 158% over the last 14 days, per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/georgia-covid-cases.html">The New York Times COVID case tracker</a>. On July 27, the state reported a seven-day average of 2,002 new daily COVID cases. This marks a troubling surge in COVID infections since June 29, when Georgia was reporting an average of 266 cases over a seven-day period.COVID case numbers continue to surge across the US. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-cases-us-surge-highest-since-may-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider reported on July 24</a> that new infections in the US neared 50,000 a day, the highest case numbers the country has seen since May. Rachel Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebaMK_njfUM">said during a press briefing on July 16</a> that COVID is becoming a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-director-says-covid-19-hospitalizations-are-mostly-unvaccinated-2021-7">"pandemic of the unvaccinated,"</a> noting that the unvaccinated comprise around 97% of hospitalized COVID-19 cases.

Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was sorry for comparing mask mandates to the Holocaust. Now she's saying private businesses not letting unvaccinated people in is 'segregation.'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Only <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-public-health-measures-blunted-flu-us-world-2021-2">155 people were found to be hospitalized</a> for the <keyword id="12048786" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="flu" source="Orion">flu</keyword> during the peak of last year's season.</li><li>One team of health experts said the flu could rebound with <a href="https://www.upmc.com/media/news/083121-roberts-flucovid-medrxiv">600,000 US hospitalizations</a> this year.</li><li>Hospitals across the country are already overwhelmed with severe COVID-19 cases.</li></ul>A team of public-health experts predict this year's flu season could result in three times as many hospitalizations as a normal year, putting a further strain on the healthcare system during the <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-season-coming-fast-miserable-studies-warn-rcna1909">NBC News</a> reported.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/faq.htm">The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> estimates that the US has had 9.3 million to 45 million flu illnesses a year since 2010, and its most recent estimates indicate the country averages more than 200,000 flu hospitalizations a year.Many public-health officials <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-public-health-measures-blunted-flu-us-world-2021-2">were expecting a "twindemic" last winter</a> - with severe coronavirus infections stacking on top of the regularly recurring flu hospitalizations - but only 155 Americans were found to be hospitalized for influenza from October 1 to January 30, the peak of flu season. That's in comparison with <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200205073939/https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm"> 8,633 Americans found to be hospitalized with the flu</a> during the same time frame the year prior.It then seemed clear that COVID-19 preventive measures like mask-wearing and social distancing had brought down flu cases as well. But some are now worried the drop in cases could mean a rebound this year."The possibility of a 'twindemic' is pretty real this year," Brian Dixon, the director of public-health informatics at the Regenstrief Institute, told <a href="https://www.wthr.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-19-and-flu-season-could-there-be-a-twindemic/531-15bfe70f-d5b6-41f7-91e3-2139c2554d2d">WTHR</a>.In two new non-peer-reviewed study preprints, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health <a href="https://www.upmc.com/media/news/083121-roberts-flucovid-medrxiv">estimated that there could be at least 20% more flu cases this year compared with a normal year or, in a worst-case scenario, double the cases</a>.Hospitalizations could total 600,000, or threefold their normal number, the analysis found.Dr. Mark Roberts, director of the Public Health Dynamics Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, said in <a href="https://www.upmc.com/media/news/083121-roberts-flucovid-medrxiv">a press release</a> that as COVID-19 measures were relaxed, the flu and other respiratory illnesses would resurge.He added, however, that higher flu-vaccination rates could help ease hospitalizations."In a worst-case situation with a highly transmissible flu strain dominating and low influenza vaccination uptake, our predictive models indicate the potential for up to nearly half a million more flu hospitalizations this winter, compared to a normal flu season," he said. "Vaccinating as many people against flu as possible will be key to avoiding this scenario."The university's analysis suggests that 75% of Americans would need to get a flu shot to avoid this worst-case scenario. In the 2019-2020 flu season, 51.8% of Americans got a flu vaccine, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/coverage-1920estimates.htm">CDC</a> reported.David Kimberlin, the codirector of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told NBC News he'd already seen kids enter the hospital this summer for respiratory illnesses normally seen in the winter, like the respiratory syncytial virus; croup; and hand, foot, and mouth disease.Dr. Sean O'Leary, an infectious-disease physician at Children's Hospital Colorado, told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/viruses-are-landing-kids-icu-summer-it-s-not-all-n1274355">NBC News</a> in July that there wasn't a clear-cut explanation as to why these respiratory ailments were spreading in the summer but said one reason could be the loosening of social-distancing guidelines and mask-wearing."There is a lot more mixing among people than there had been," he said.Kimberlin told the outlet his hospital was overrun by the Delta coronavirus variant and warned that adding a rise in flu cases to the mix had "the potential to be catastrophic."CDC numbers indicate the US averaged more than <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#hospitalizations">87,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations</a> over the past week. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iowa-er-doctor-pleads-get-vaccinated-not-enough-icu-beds-2021-9">Hospitals in some states</a>, especially those with low vaccination rates, are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/idaho-activates-crisis-protocol-to-battle-surging-covid-19-cases-2021-9">at or close to full capacity</a>.

Public-health experts say this year's flu season could result in 3 times as many hospitalizations as usual, further straining medical resources

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Several US states have lifted mask <keyword id="12074177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mandates" source="Orion">mandates</keyword> in schools or plan to do so in the near future.</li><li>Public-health experts worry it's too soon, since <keyword id="11903370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kids" source="Orion">kids</keyword> 5 and younger aren't vaccine-eligible yet.</li></ul>As several US states peel back <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mask-mandates-lifted-states-reasonable-experts-2022-2">mask mandates</a> in schools amid declining <keyword id="8785701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-cases" source="Orion">COVID-19 cases</keyword> and hospitalizations, public-health experts warn that relaxed restrictions may be arriving too soon. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey plan to lift <keyword id="11900653" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="school" source="Orion">school</keyword> mandates by the end of the month, while Nevada dropped its school mandate last week.A few states have given schools extra time to adjust: Delaware's mask mandate for businesses ended last week, but its school mask mandate won't expire until the end of March. Rhode Island also lifted its mask requirement for most indoor spaces last week, but will require <keyword id="11917128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="masks" source="Orion">masks</keyword> in schools through March 4.Unlike adults, most kids don't have the benefit of COVID-19 vaccine protection. Just <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-demographics-trends">one-quarter of kids ages 5 to 11</a> have been fully vaccinated in the US as of Sunday. Pfizer also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-postpones-vax-for-young-kids-pulls-fda-application-2022-2">announced late last week</a> that kids 5 years old and younger will have to wait until at least April to become eligible for COVID-19 shots."From a school perspective, I would still say the safest decision would be to continue requiring to wear masks," Dr. Vivek Cherian, a Chicago-based internal-medicine physician, told Insider. "Until everyone is at least eligible, I think it would be a mistake, because kids still do get sick."<h2>'Why take the chance?'</h2><div type="image" title="Two kids hold signs encouraging the wearing of masks in the classroom." height="2676" width="4014" msid="89577733" hostid="261"></div><keyword id="6354493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="children" source="Orion">Children</keyword> under age 18 represent more than 17% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US, but less than 0.2% of confirmed COVID-19 deaths, according to <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics">the latest data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For some experts, the low risk of severe outcomes among kids outweighs the need to require masks in schools."Is the goal that no children will get COVID? That's not a reasonable goal," Emily Gurley, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Insider.Gurley said she's comfortable with <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/q-a-children-and-masks-related-to-covid-19">World Health Organization guidance</a> that kids 5 years old and younger don't need to wear masks in schools, and kids ages 6 to 11 only need them in high-risk situations.Cherian, on the other hand, said schools should require masks, even as states start to lift restrictions for businesses and public spaces. "There are kids who can get quite sick, even with the Omicron variant. So why take the chance?" he asked.Doctors <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-cases-rise-kids-omicron-isnt-more-dangerous-2022-1">recently told Insider</a> they're seeing more instances of croup and bronchiolitis — infections commonly associated with respiratory viruses — among unvaccinated kids with Omicron under age 5.<h2>Experts hope school mandates will protect high-risk teachers and family members</h2><div type="image" title="a masked teacher talks to a masked student at her desk in a classroom" height="1667" width="2500" msid="89577737" hostid="261"></div>Other experts worry that removing masks in schools will increase COVID-19 transmission, particularly among teachers and families of school-aged kids."You might say, 'Well, my kid is vaxxed and they don't have any health issues. I feel good about them being unmasked.' But then maybe the kid sitting next to them is immunocompromised, or maybe they live with a parent or grandparent or aunt or uncle who is immunocompromised," Dr. Ingrid Katz, an associate faculty director at the Harvard Global Health Institute, told Insider.Cherian said mask requirements have helped prevent in-school transmission so far. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/masks-prevent-covid-in-schools-cdc-studies-2021-9">Two CDC studies</a> from September 2021 found that schools that required masks saw fewer COVID-19 outbreaks. But some experts aren't convinced there's a direct correlation between school mask mandates and kids spreading the virus to high-risk friends and family."I'm not sure there's great evidence for that," Gurley said. <h2>Other experts worry about kids' emotional development and communication skills </h2><div type="image" title="A child listens at school while wearing a mask." height="2973" width="5285" msid="89577739" hostid="261"></div>Other public-health experts fear that masks could hinder kids' development or ability to pick up on emotional and social cues.Studies conducted before the pandemic found that <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614568320">lipreading may help babies</a> with <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-child-language/article/abs/attention-to-the-mouth-and-gaze-following-in-infancy-predict-language-development/209AED7224CC2D4C42D72A4109F00918">their language and communication skills</a>. But so far, there's little evidence to suggest that masks are holding kids back in dramatic ways. The CDC has <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/masking-science-sars-cov2.html#anchor_1634654832779">found</a> "no clear evidence that masking impairs emotional or language development in children," based on "limited available data." A <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243708">December 2020 study</a> also found that children could still intuit a person's emotions, even when that person was wearing a mask. Future research could alter these findings, since scientists haven't enough time to study the long-term effects of masking during the pandemic.Cherian said his two children, ages 2 and 4, seem unfazed by masks so far."I would find it very, very hard to buy the argument that one of my boys' psychological development is being influenced because they're wearing masks," he said, though he added that mask rules should still be relaxed for children with behavioral or developmental concerns, such as autism. The time to remove mask mandates in schools isn't far off, experts added."This isn't something that is going to go on for the entire year," Cherian said, adding, "As kids under 5 become eligible for vaccines, this is something we could probably lift within the next few months."

States are rolling back mask mandates, but some health experts say it's too soon for schools

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While many parents struggle to afford <keyword id="11974904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="childcare" source="Orion">childcare</keyword>, childcare workers face low wages and long days.</li><li>These moms say that work in childcare left them emotionally depleted or made their family sick.</li></ul><a href="https://www.wheeliegreat.com/about/">Carmel Young</a> always wanted to work in childcare. She went to college and then joined the military. And after her military service, she got a job at an early-care nursery to work with young children. "A lot of people recognize that I am overqualified educationally to just continue with childcare, but I didn't mind it one bit," said Young, 36, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "It was the most wholesome job I have ever had, even more so than the military."But Young soon realized that - like the military - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-childcare-employment-unemployment-jobs-california-children-daycare-wages-2021-11">working in childcare</a> took a toll. She worked long, unpredictable hours and had intense days that left her drained. At the beginning of 2021, she quit her job."I loved my coworkers, my bosses, and the children, but I'd be coming home at the end of the day with nothing left to give," Young said. "The thought of coming home five days a week for the next 30 years and feeling like this makes me feel trapped, and I don't want to live like that anymore."<h2>High expectations and low pay</h2>Young wasn't alone. The pandemic highlighted that childcare was in a crisis. While many parents struggled to afford childcare, paying an average of 13% of their incomes for the service, childcare workers were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/09/19/childcare-workers-quit/">paid less than 98% of Americans</a> in other professions, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0355">said</a>. Nationally, the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/childcare-workers.htm">average wage</a> for a childcare worker was $12.24 an hour, or about $25,460 a year. Young said her family was financially stable, and that she was never in the job for the money. "It really was all about the kids for me," she added. "Getting paid was just a bonus."But for many childcare workers - the vast majority of whom are women, often moms - income from childcare is <a href="https://www.insider.com/i-saved-childcare-costs-by-swapping-babysitting-with-a-mom-2021-10">essential to making ends meet</a> for their family. <a href="http://www.gemmahartley.com/">Gemma Hartley</a>, the author of "<a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062855985">Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward</a>," experienced the low pay for herself when she tried to open her own daycare. Hartley's mother had run an in-home daycare for 40 years, and Hartley thought following in her footsteps would provide a solid income, while allowing her to care for her own young children. That wasn't the reality. "I will never forget my accountant's face the first year after I opened my daycare," Hartley said."He was sure I had made a mistake because I was working over 40 hour weeks, not including prep and cleaning, and earning less than poverty wages. Some weeks, when I only had part-time spots filled, my hourly came out to under $5."In order to make a more livable wage, many childcare workers take as many kids as possible, but that didn't feel possible to Hartley.<h2>An onslaught of illness</h2>The biggest reason Hartley decided to get out of childcare - and eventually pursue writing - was because the daycare was starting to <a href="https://www.insider.com/globally-moms-extra-173-hours-of-childcare-average-2020-report-2021-6">take a toll</a> on her family's physical <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword>. "I couldn't take the constant onslaught of illness tearing through the house," she said. Hartley's baby had pneumonia, influenza, croup, and hand, foot, and mouth disease all before his first birthday. Although Hartley was frustrated with parents bringing in sick kids, she knew they felt like they had no choice. "The parents themselves really needed more flexible work situations that allowed them to make that decision easily, and I could tell many didn't have it," she said. "They knew they'd be getting a call when the Tylenol wore off, but not showing up at work in the first place wasn't an option." <h2>Easy to walk away from</h2>Like Young, <a href="https://www.discoveryplaywithlittles.com/about/">Elizabeth Manly</a>, a former kindergarten teacher in Indiana, came home depleted at the end of a workday. "I constantly felt like I was failing at school and at home," she said. "I would be so tired from the day that it was difficult to engage, or I would still be overwhelmed from my never-ending to-do list that I would have a hard time being fully present. I never felt like I was doing a great job at either place: home or school."That reached a crescendo during the pandemic. Manly tried to make herself available to her students' parents by text or email, all while taking care of her own 2-year-old, who was not able to be in daycare because of the pandemic. Manly realized it was time to stop teaching. She said, "It kept taking an increasing amount of time away from my family and offered a small enough salary that was easy to walk away from."

These moms say low pay, illnesses, and feelings of failing their own kids are why they left jobs in childcare

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59f211e1bcf93d22008b4a9e-800/ign-01.jpg" alt="Igntion Twitter" data-mce-source="Michael Seto" data-link="http://www.michaelseto.com" /><a href="http://www.michaelseto.com">Michael Seto</a></div></div></div>Between artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality - not to mention robots, chatbots, and just plain bots - there is a bewildering array of technology and trends to master in <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> and <keyword id="6354839" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword>.Meanwhile, journalists, media, brands, and platforms are confronting issues of trust, transparency, and attribution on a daily basis.To address these unique challenges, Business Insider's IGNITION conference will feature, for the first time, three specialized Pillars: Marketing, Media, and The Next Big Thing. Attendees can optimize their agendas around their Pillar of choice, allowing them to focus on the topics that matter most to them."With Pillars, people will be able to take a deeper dive into their professional interests and experience the conference in a new, more customized way," said Melanie Cornwell, executive producer of IGNITION. "Ranging from 'How to build a business in audio' to 'Leveraging AI technology to optimize revenue and product development' Pillars offer specific, actionable insights for media and marketing pros."For example, Marketing gurus can immerse themselves in an intensive programming block featuring best-in-class executives such as AT&amp;T chief brand officer Fiona Carter, Amazon VP of global advertising Seth Dallaire, and Karin Timpone, CMO of Marriott International.If Media is the name of the game, speakers like Kate Lewis, SVP and editorial director of Hearst Magazine's Digital Media; Piera Gelardi, Refinery29's cofounder and executive creative director; and Alex Blumberg, cofounder and CEO of podcasting empire Gimlet Media will teach us how to build audiences and businesses on new platforms.When it comes to The Next Big Thing, a head start is everything, and with the third Pillar, Business Insider will be unveiling six of the coolest emerging tech companies that promise to transform the media landscape.Media Pillar and Marketing Pillar speakers include:<ul><li>Fiona Carter, chief brand officer, AT&amp;T</li><li>Seth Dallaire, VP of global advertising, Amazon</li><li>Piera Gelardi, cofounder and executive creative director, Refinery29</li><li>Tim Kendall, president, Pinterest</li><li>Kristin Lemkau, CMO, JPMorgan Chase</li><li>Kate Lewis, SVP and editorial director, Hearst Magazines Digital Media</li><li>Janice Min, media strategist, Eldridge Industries</li><li>Karin Timpone, CMO, Marriott International</li><li>Larry Thorpe, senior fellow, imaging technologies and communications croup, Canon USA</li><li>Troy Young, global president, Hearst Magazines Digital Media</li></ul>You won't want to miss out on this lineup. Business Insider IGNITION 2017 will take place November 29-30 at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Head over to <a href="http://events.businessinsider.com/">IGNITION</a> to register today.<div id="categorypromo"><script src="//load.sumome.com/" data-sumo-site-id="ad2d02bb34b81e60382fbf1fd2c2e4d9230918d0b8ccae68c9d7bac17d286fa5" async="async"></script></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-government-run-janet-airlines-area-51-2017-5">There is a secret US government airline that flies out of commercial airports</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/2NbCfs0N-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

You Searched For "croup" and got 12 results

Omicron is infecting more kids than any prior variant. Here are the most common symptoms in children, according to experts.

Marianne Guenot

The Omicron variant appears to cause croup, a barking cough, in some children under 5: report

Yelena Dzhanova

My daughter's ear and lip fell off as a baby. I adore her face because it's uniquely hers, and I'm teaching her to do the same.

Kelly Burch

As a travel writer, I've taken many solo trips. I was surprised at how much I loved traveling with my baby.

Kate Wills

Omicron increases the risk of upper airway infections and cardiac arrest in children, shows study

IANS

Omicron is a 'different beast' in kids, but it doesn't seem more dangerous, disease experts say

Aria Bendix

I'm a social worker and a mom. The best parenting advice I learned was from my patients at an inpatient psychiatric unit.

Carla Naumburg

Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was sorry for comparing mask mandates to the Holocaust. Now she's saying private businesses not letting unvaccinated people in is 'segregation.'

Cheryl Teh

Public-health experts say this year's flu season could result in 3 times as many hospitalizations as usual, further straining medical resources

Sarah Al-Arshani

States are rolling back mask mandates, but some health experts say it's too soon for schools

Aria Bendix

These moms say low pay, illnesses, and feelings of failing their own kids are why they left jobs in childcare

Kelly Burch

Media, Marketing, and The Next Big Thing - take a deep dive into each with a new feature coming to IGNITION 2017

Business Insider