Tridemia alert in children, what it is and advice from paediatricians

In the winter of 2023-2024, what worries doctors is the presence of three distinct diseases, then caused by three distinct winter viruses.
Paediatricians in particular are raising the alert for the triad of viruses which include the respiratory syncytial virus which causes bronchiolitis, the Covid virus and the influenza virus.
It is these three viruses that worried paediatricians last year, causing a sort of "tridemia epidemic", in terms of the number of beds occupied; the same concern that with the first cold seems to already grip autumn 2023.
The worrying triad of viruses has been renamed in Anglo-Saxon countries as tridemia.
But what is it and what does it mean for the management of patients, especially children? Sip, the Italian Society of Paediatrics, provided the answer.
read also Mandatory vaccines in Italy: what are they, how old are they and penalties What is tridemia? Every year, influenza viruses appear capable of infecting a large portion of the population.
It is these people who, in the winter, empty school classrooms and offices.
Last year, three winter viruses appeared and this year the situation is about to repeat itself.
This particular triple presence of highly infectious viruses has been renamed “tridemia”.
Paediatricians found a crowding of requests for support from parents, but also of beds occupied last winter, when the three viruses appeared in the same period of time.
read also Flu vaccine 2023-2024: when it should be done, to whom it is recommended and how much it costs What are the tridemia viruses? Tridemia is made up of three more or less serious viruses depending on the subject's condition, age and fragility.
At the moment "tridemia" means the simultaneous appearance of three viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – which causes bronchiolitis a variant of the coronavirus – which causes Covid-19 influenza virus The respiratory syncytial virus is thought to have a peak late compared to last year, while the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has not yet said anything about influenza.
read also HV.1 arrives in Italy, symptoms and severity of the new Covid variant What are the pediatricians' advice? It is clear, for the experts of the Italian Society of Paediatrics (SIP), that the situation must be monitored carefully, while less clear is whether the flu-Covid-RSV triad will accompany the season with peaks at different times or with peaks that will overlap and what will be the extent of circulation of these viruses.
While waiting for a more detailed picture, Sip has given some advice to parents to help them navigate this tridemia, i.e.
among the ailments typical of the winter season and difficult to manage when the little ones are affected.
To avoid making children and the elderly sick, the first step is the vaccine.
If this exists, under the indication of the family doctor or pediatrician, it is advisable to join the vaccination campaign.
The indications of the Minister of Health must also be monitored, as well as those of the Sip.
The ultimate aim is not only to monitor and protect the little ones and fragile people from seasonal viruses, but also to reduce access to hospitals and emergency rooms, limiting them to more serious and urgent episodes.