[riri]

People don't die directly from the flu

Thank you for saying this. In ALL the news reports I have listened to or read NOT ONE has said this very basic statement. Very basic, yet I would bet 7 out of ten people don't really know this.

So as a doctor I ask you, what signs do I look for in a child that is ill?

My son (2.5) had what a presume to be a nasty bout with a flu about a month ago. This was before all the media hype about the pediatric deaths but because I had read of children dying in England and my newfound paranoia re: pnuemonia (thanks to SARS) I had to bring him into the md's office twice. Second time, it was a bacterial infection, ear infection, and, luckily, amoxicillin seemed to do the job.

So, I understand why people are flooding the doctor's offices after stories of children on the mend one day and dead the next, some with no other medical problems.

[Born Conservative]

First, I'm not a doctor, I'm an RN (don't want to mislead you). As for what to look for: if the fever lasts longer than 3-4 days, goes above 104, signs of dehydration (no urine x8 hours or more, dry mouth, pale skin, sunken eyes, listless/lethargic) or if your child has breathing difficulty (nasal flaring, breathing rapidly, the stomach or space between the ribs sucking in when breathing, grunting when breathing), then it's time to call the doctor.