What is croup? Illness appearing in some children with COVID

WINFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- There's a common childhood illness that is developing in some children who get COVID-19.

Croup is the culprit here. It can be concerning, but doctors say you don't have to go to the hospital the moment you hear that barking cough.

Dr. Alin Abraham, a pediatrician with Northwestern Medicine, Central DuPage Hospital, joined ABC7 Tuesday morning to talk about what croup is, how long it lasts, how to ease symptoms for children and when a child should visit the doctor.

Dr. Abraham also talked about the link between omicron and croup. The omicron variant tends to stay in the upper airways, producing more upper respiratory symptoms like a runny or congested nose, cough, or sore throat.