“Pink Eye” Tops the DoctorsReport.com List of Four Illnesses to Watch Among Pre-schoolers Nationwide
Pittsburgh, PA, March 21, 2018 – On the heels of a devastating flu season, four illnesses have emerged as ones to watch nationally among pre-schoolers (Toddlers), according to Doctors Report™ Illness Tracker™ and DoctorsReport.com. The Doctors Report Illness Tracker ™, which is the mobile app and website that give you instant access to data doctors’ reports from almost one million doctors’ offices across the nation, released its current list of the top four illnesses currently spreading among toddlers, which are: Conjunctivitis (“Pink Eye”), Common Cold, Pneumonia and Strep Throat.
DoctorsReport.com draws from a national database of doctor-diagnosed and reported cases. Illnesses are ranked according to severity levels on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being most prevalent). Current severity levels of the top four toddler illnesses are:
Conjunctivitis – 6.0 (Serious)
Common Cold & Cold Symptoms – 4.50 (Moderate)
Pneumonia – 4.50 (Moderate)
Strep Throat – 4.50 (Moderate)
Be Alert – While the national severity levels may be moderate-to-severe nationwide, these toddler illnesses are at severe levels in multiple areas across the country.
Conjunctivitis Symptoms - often called "pink eye," conjunctivitis is an infection or irritation of in the white portion of the eye. A virus, bacteria, allergy or other irritants can be the cause. Very contagious, viral or bacterial conjunctivitis can spread rapidly and lead to itching, burning and discharge.
Cold & Cold Symptoms - sore throat, runny nose, coughing, ear pain, sinus pain, sneezing, watery eyes, head and body aches.
Pneumonia Symptoms - an infection of one or both of the lungs, often from the flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) but also caused by other viruses or bacteria. Pneumonia may be more serious for children under 5 or older adults. Pneumonia is the largest cause of death by infectious disease for children worldwide.
Strep Throat or Tonsils, Symptoms - an infection from Streptococcus bacteria. About 25% of children with sore throats have strep throat; about 10% of adults with sore throats have strep. Serious complications of untreated strep may affect the heart and kidneys.
About the Doctors Report Severity Scale
DoctorsReport.com has developed a proprietary set of algorithms for gauging the prevalence of 15 common illnesses. The major factors that define the severity scale are: number of diagnosed and reported cases from actual doctors’ offices and comparisons to historical trends for the same area.
About the Doctors Report Website and App
Doctors Report is a website and app, powered by data from almost one million doctors’ offices nationwide. The data from doctors’ offices is cycled automatically so that it is the most current available anywhere. Doctors Report tracks 15 major disease and condition categories. Additional health risk categories will be added. The geographic accuracy of the data can be narrowed to zip code and broken down by health condition and age group. For more information on the website and app, and to download it, visit www.doctorsreport.com.
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Contact:
Tim O’Brien
412.854.8845