Dr Parekh says, “The most undervalued tool that can be used by parents is measurement of respiratory rate (RR) i.e. the number of breaths your child takes in a minute.”

“Normally, we are not measuring the respiratory rate, but during this poor air quality season, incredibly low AQIs, with the kind of crazy lung infections, pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and bronchitis, I would beg every parent that if your child today has a cough and cold, is running a fever, please keep an eye on their RR,” he adds.

According to the pediatrician, if the RR is more than beyond a certain number, parents should take their children to the doctor the same day or the very next day.