5 ms·

My infant daughter just wrapped up a run of about three or so weeks of “a cold.” After the second week, a handful of Covid tests, and one fever, we took her to

My infant daughter just wrapped up a run of about three or so weeks of “a cold.” After the second week, a handful of Covid tests, and one fever, we took her to the doctor and asked why this cold was lasting so long. Our pediatrician was like “not cold, colds. She probably had 3-4 viruses back-to-back.” I had no idea this was a thing - he called them “daycare viruses.”

_AzMoo 5y ago
In 2019 my infant son had a 3-month period where he was sick at varying levels for 100% of the time. We kept thinking it was some kind of resurgence, until an epidemiologist at the hospital explained to us that he just kept getting different viruses from daycare over and over.
- mixmastamyk 5y ago
  The year of sickness, what I call our daycare episode. During that time I heard the GRC podcast about vitamin D3, started taking it, and haven't been sick more than a day or so since.
  - wirrbel 5y ago
    I am supplementing vitamin D3 and I still get sick. It is not a silver bullet for immunity. Probably your kid has by the time you started supplementing just gone through the typically circulating virus strains and thus the viral loads in your kid don't replicate to levels that almost guarantee you being infected when interacting with them (like cuddling, comforting when they cry, etc.).
    - mixmastamyk 5y ago
      It's approaching ten years, and yes we have seen just about every strain. It stopped the winter week I started taking it. As I said I sometimes get sick every few years but one day is typically the maximum. Consider me convinced.
cortesoft 5y ago
Yeah, it is pretty nuts how sick kids get in daycare, although our pediatrician says it is training their immune system. She said that for kids not in daycare, the same thing happens once they hit kindergarten. First few months of daycare, constant colds. Then COVID hit and we took the kids out of daycare, no colds for months. Back at daycare, colds started right away. It has mostly stopped for my five year old. She gets a normal amount of colds now (a few per year), but our two year old is still a constant cold machine.
- wirrbel 5y ago
  For us it mostly stopped at age 3 (starting daycare at 2). Of course our daughter still gets sick now and then but fairly low-frequent. First year was rough though.
cmrdporcupine 5y ago
Oh boy, welcome to parenthood. Having young children in daycare or school means a constant stream of virus infections for the whole family. I don't remember when it started to trail off, but probably when my youngest got to about 7 or 8.
- throwaway2037 5y ago
  I also wonder about this. They say that children who grow up on farms have stronger immune systems because they are exposed to the natural environment more. Weirdly, they also have low incidence of food allergies. Do children who attend daycare eventually develop a much stronger immune system? (No idea how this could be scientifically measured.) I also wonder about doctor's who work in the emergency room. How are they not constantly sick with some kind of common cold / flu / bronchitis? They must have the immune system of a super hero.
  - arcticbull 5y ago
    Children who grow up with dogs and cats are also less likely to have allergies and asthma. [1] Lovable little filth monsters drag in all sorts of stuff, I guess haha. [1] https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20180716/can-dogs-keep-kids-from-getting-allergies https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20180716/can-dogs-keep-...
    - BenjiWiebe 5y ago
      Sadly pets and farms still aren't a cure all. I grew up/live on a farm with cows, cats, and usually a dog. I've got a lot of environmental allergies and a few food ones, and my day to day symptoms can be pretty bad, especially this time of year. Oh well, who knows how much worse I'd be if I hadn't grown up on a farm.
  - skinkestek 5y ago
    > They say that children who grow up on farms have stronger immune systems because they are exposed to the natural environment more. Weirdly, they also have low incidence of food allergies. I have many siblings (more than 9). All of us grew up on an active farm except the youngest one. None have had any food allergies except from my youngest brother. > I also wonder about doctor's who work in the emergency room. How are they not constantly sick with some kind of common cold / flu / bronchitis? A colleague of mine told me his wife would eat anything that had expired best before date etc while she was in training, just to build her defenses. I cannot vouch for this theory but maybe someone else can tell if it is a common tactic. (I think it sounds weird.)
throwaway2037 5y ago
I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's illness. I hope she has recovered well. Did the doctor's test for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)? I only learned about that illness recently. Interestingly, there have been multiple, failed attempts to build a vaccine. It is one of the last statistically significant childhood viral illnesses without a vaccine in highly developed nations. I wonder if an mRNA solution can be found after the COVID crisis is over. I sincerely hope so. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_syncytial_virus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_syncytial_virus

_AzMoo 5y ago

In 2019 my infant son had a 3-month period where he was sick at varying levels for 100% of the time. We kept thinking it was some kind of resurgence, until an epidemiologist at the hospital explained to us that he just kept getting different viruses from daycare over and over.

mixmastamyk 5y ago
The year of sickness, what I call our daycare episode. During that time I heard the GRC podcast about vitamin D3, started taking it, and haven't been sick more than a day or so since.
- wirrbel 5y ago
  I am supplementing vitamin D3 and I still get sick. It is not a silver bullet for immunity. Probably your kid has by the time you started supplementing just gone through the typically circulating virus strains and thus the viral loads in your kid don't replicate to levels that almost guarantee you being infected when interacting with them (like cuddling, comforting when they cry, etc.).
  - mixmastamyk 5y ago
    It's approaching ten years, and yes we have seen just about every strain. It stopped the winter week I started taking it. As I said I sometimes get sick every few years but one day is typically the maximum. Consider me convinced.

cortesoft 5y ago

Yeah, it is pretty nuts how sick kids get in daycare, although our pediatrician says it is training their immune system. She said that for kids not in daycare, the same thing happens once they hit kindergarten. First few months of daycare, constant colds. Then COVID hit and we took the kids out of daycare, no colds for months. Back at daycare, colds started right away. It has mostly stopped for my five year old. She gets a normal amount of colds now (a few per year), but our two year old is still a constant cold machine.

wirrbel 5y ago
For us it mostly stopped at age 3 (starting daycare at 2). Of course our daughter still gets sick now and then but fairly low-frequent. First year was rough though.

cmrdporcupine 5y ago

Oh boy, welcome to parenthood. Having young children in daycare or school means a constant stream of virus infections for the whole family. I don't remember when it started to trail off, but probably when my youngest got to about 7 or 8.

throwaway2037 5y ago
I also wonder about this. They say that children who grow up on farms have stronger immune systems because they are exposed to the natural environment more. Weirdly, they also have low incidence of food allergies. Do children who attend daycare eventually develop a much stronger immune system? (No idea how this could be scientifically measured.) I also wonder about doctor's who work in the emergency room. How are they not constantly sick with some kind of common cold / flu / bronchitis? They must have the immune system of a super hero.
- arcticbull 5y ago
  Children who grow up with dogs and cats are also less likely to have allergies and asthma. [1] Lovable little filth monsters drag in all sorts of stuff, I guess haha. [1] https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20180716/can-dogs-keep-kids-from-getting-allergies https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20180716/can-dogs-keep-...
  - BenjiWiebe 5y ago
    Sadly pets and farms still aren't a cure all. I grew up/live on a farm with cows, cats, and usually a dog. I've got a lot of environmental allergies and a few food ones, and my day to day symptoms can be pretty bad, especially this time of year. Oh well, who knows how much worse I'd be if I hadn't grown up on a farm.
- skinkestek 5y ago
  > They say that children who grow up on farms have stronger immune systems because they are exposed to the natural environment more. Weirdly, they also have low incidence of food allergies. I have many siblings (more than 9). All of us grew up on an active farm except the youngest one. None have had any food allergies except from my youngest brother. > I also wonder about doctor's who work in the emergency room. How are they not constantly sick with some kind of common cold / flu / bronchitis? A colleague of mine told me his wife would eat anything that had expired best before date etc while she was in training, just to build her defenses. I cannot vouch for this theory but maybe someone else can tell if it is a common tactic. (I think it sounds weird.)

throwaway2037 5y ago

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's illness. I hope she has recovered well. Did the doctor's test for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)? I only learned about that illness recently. Interestingly, there have been multiple, failed attempts to build a vaccine. It is one of the last statistically significant childhood viral illnesses without a vaccine in highly developed nations. I wonder if an mRNA solution can be found after the COVID crisis is over. I sincerely hope so. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_syncytial_virus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_syncytial_virus