Brodi Willard, a mum and registered nurse, issued an urgent warning to parents who have sick little ones in the house: keep your eyes peeled for hives. In a recent Facebook post [3], Brodi explained how this common rash can actually be a symptom of the flu [4]. She wrote:

My son came home from school with hives. Every time he would scratch, more would appear. We tried changing his clothes and giving him a bath, but nothing helped. I called his paediatrician. They said they had two kids come into the office that day with the same symptoms and tested POSITIVE FOR INFLUENZA. I took him to the doctor this morning and he tested POSITIVE for INFLUENZA B.

And to make matters a bit scarier, they were his only symptom. "He has had NO symptoms. No fever, no cough, and no runny nose. He only has hives," she wrote.

This mum's hives warning isn't anything to take lightly, especially as so far, there have been "37 influenza-associated paediatric deaths" [5] reported for the 2017-18 season.

Brodi ended her post by stressing how important it is to keep an eye out for hives, even if your child hasn't shown any other signs of being ill. "Keep watch on your children [and] if they develop hives, please call your paediatrician. I have never heard of this symptom but it is obviously something to be on the lookout for."