New study proves what we all suspected about cold and flu season
The stunning number of times children get sick per year and age group that suffers most
- A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that pre-kindergarten and elementary school children exhibit the highest rates of respiratory virus detection and illness.
- Conducted from November 2022 to May 2023 in a large Kansas City school district, the study revealed that 92% of pre-K and elementary pupils had a virus detected.
- This figure contrasts with approximately 86% of middle school students, 77% of high school students, and 76% of staff.
- “Young children can have up to 10 respiratory viruses a year as their immune systems are introduced to different infections for the first time,” said researcher Dr. Jennifer Goldman, a pediatrician at Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
- The findings corroborate earlier research indicating that young children are significant spreaders of respiratory viruses within households.