viralfeverfaqs

What is viral fever?

Viral fever is an acute viral infection. The most common viral fever is the seasonal flu. Children can catch viral fever easily. The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread by physical contact through hands infected with the virus. When viral infections are very common, such as during seasonal changes, they can be carried through air ventilation systems.

How will I know if my child has viral fever?

Usually, the first signs of viral fever are chills. Another early sign is a fever of 100 to 103 degree F. A child with viral fever will often have pain throughout the body, especially in the back and legs. There are different kinds of viral infections and symptoms will vary depending on the virus.

How can I protect my child from viral fever?

Try to keep your child away from anyone who is sick. If anyone around your child is coughing or sneezing, ask them to cover their mouths and noses and to wash their hands with soap regularly. If a family member has diarrhoea or is vomiting, make sure they also wash their hands frequently and follow good hygiene. Wash your child’s hands with soap often.

How are viral infections different from bacterial infections?

A bacterial infection is characterised by redness, heat, swelling and pain in one part of the body. So, if your child has bacterial throat pain, he will have more pain on one side of the throat. Bacterial infections are usually treated with a special antibiotic, which only kills the bacterium that caused the disease. Viral infections, however, involve different parts of the body at the same time. So, if your child has a viral infection, he may have a running nose, cough and body aches. Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections like cold or flu. Only use antibiotics for bacterial infections that won’t get better on their own.