We may have stamped out Covid but other viruses are starting to make their way back into the country.
Starship Hospital is seeing a record number of children this winter as a surge of respiratory illnesses hit tamariki around the country.
Experts believe there could be a link between last year’s lockdown and the rise.
One-year-old Theodore Lacey has already had his fair share of sickness, with high temperatures and a snotty nose, on and off, since Easter.
His mother Charlotte says it’s becoming predictable.
“At the moment we have the week of wellness where one week he is sick and the next he is well,” she says.
It's a big increase from last year, when lockdowns shielded kids from the usual germs and bugs.
As restrictions ease, Dr Brian Betty from the Royal New Zealand College of GPs says common viruses like strains of RSV are back.
“Generally these viral or respiratory illnesses come in from overseas, so with the opening of the borders with Australia we've suddenly seen the virus enter the New Zealand community and we have seen the upswing.”
It's particularly prevalent in children up to the age of two.
Starship general paediatrician Dr Cameron Grant says it’s been very busy, with the hospital seeing a rise in admissions over the last month.
“Record numbers of presentations to the children’s emergency department and very high numbers of hospital admissions of young children with acute respiratory infection,” he said.
It's similar story around the country; Hawke’s Bay and Christchurch Hospital say there's been a surge of sick kids needing treatment over the last few months with several admitted into intensive care.
Dr Betty says the increase is possibly down to lower immunity levels.
“There is some thinking that because we had none of these RSV viruses last year in the community, the immunity of children has actually dropped a little bit and now they are being re-exposed to these viruses, some of these infections are potentially more severe.”
High fevers are a common symptom as kids fight off infections - Lacey says Theodore is often very hot.
“The last one he had, he had about five different fevers so every day it would either be during the day or nighttime he'd be super hot.”
Grant says parents should keep a watchful eye on their child if they start to develop symptoms and seek medical treatment early.
“Fast breathing, or hard breathing, or not being able to feed, or not being able to settle or sleeping more - any of those things require them to seek care.”
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