It appears coinfections are on the rise this winter, with some children experiencing two viruses at the same time. That may be because we are able to screen for it.

“Pre-COVID we weren’t always necessarily testing for a whole bunch of different viruses all at one time,” said Dr. Camille Sabella, pediatric infectious disease specialist for Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “But now that we’re able to test for multiple viruses at one time and we’re doing it more often, I think we’re finding out that we’re seeing a lot of coinfections.”

Dr. Sabella said coinfections can happen with many of the viruses circulating right now, which is why testing is important. It helps with not only making a diagnosis but also determining treatment.

While being sick with two viruses may sound stressful, he said most kids tend to handle it pretty well and are able to recover at home. Although they may need to be hospitalized in more severe cases.

Dr. Sabella said if your child has any kind of trouble breathing or seems to be getting worse with time, you should seek medical assistance.

As for prevention of these viruses, he recommends washing your hands.

“A lot of these viruses are really spread through the air, but the majority of the spread, like with RSV, is through close contact. So really being careful about strict handwashing is important, and when kids are sick, keeping them home from school and from daycare helps as well,” he advised.

If you or your child haven’t been vaccinated yet, there’s still time.

Flu season usually goes until May.