JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An increase in croup cases is tied directly to the omicron variant of COVID-19, according to pediatricians.
Croup is a childhood illness that’s commonly distinguished by a loud barking cough in children, sometimes accompanied by a high-pitched whistling sound.
“It’s a constriction, so kids kind of get this characteristic sound like they are barking like a seal,” said epidemiologist Dr. Jonathan Kantor.
Kantor describes the telltale sound of croup cough, which comes from the inflammation in the voice box, the windpipe and the bronchial tubes.
Pediatricians are closely watching a spike in croup cases among children, particularly in the hospital during the omicron surge.
“The shift is that the percentage of the time, so, you know, earlier you might have seen it in let’s say 1 of 50 kids with croup we’re having COVID infections, let’s put it that way. Now you’re seeing maybe half of kids who’ve got croup symptoms, in some studies and some early data that’s coming out, seems like they actually have COVID rather than the parainfluenza virus,” Kantor said.
According to a study from a specialist in pediatric emergency medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital, 2.8 % of COVID-19 cases also tested positive for croup during the delta surge compared to 48.2% of patients testing positive for croup during the omicron surge.
Medical experts say this is because the delta variant typically infects the lungs, while the omicron variant infects the upper airways.
If your child gets infected, doctors suggest you:
- Make them as comfortable as possible.
- Give them medication to suppress a fever if they have one.
- If they can’t breathe, go see a doctor.
- Keep them as calm as you can.
“Croup typically affects kids that are really really young and are susceptible to freaking out a little bit, when they are feeling sick anyway. The problem is they start crying, feeling worse then start coughing, and that causes more inflammation, and they cry more and get into a vicious cycle,” Kantor said.
Because children under the age of 5 are most likely to get croup and they can’t yet get vaccinated, doctors suggest the best protection is to make sure that everyone around them is fully vaccinated if possible. Croup often runs its course within three to four days.