Dylan Dreyer is grateful to be on the other side after Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) impacted her family.
Speaking with PEOPLE about her experience, the Today co-host, 31, revealed that sons Russell "Rusty" James, 13 months, and Oliver George, 2, both had to be taken to the emergency room after contracting the respiratory virus.
Dreyer explains that son Calvin Bradley, 5, "might have had it" first, adding, "He had kind of like a cold, and a cough and then Ollie got it."
Her family's experience began the Thursday before Halloween when Oliver had an unusual incident at his swimming lesson.
"He kind of jumped off the side and he inhaled a lot of water," she recalls. "I didn't really think anything of it but once he started coughing, it was a whole thing."
That night, Dreyer monitored Oliver as he "had this weird cough and he was breathing weird." Becoming concerned about secondary drowning after doing some research, Dreyer was relieved when Oliver woke up the next morning and, "He was fine. No fever, anything."
The next night, things took a turn when Oliver got "this really bad cough and a 103 fever."
Continuing to believe it was related to the swimming incident, Dreyer decided to take the toddler to the E.R. the Friday night prior to Halloween.
"They listened to lungs as they tried to get his fever down and they ended up testing him for like, literally everything," she shares. "And it came back positive for RSV."
Dreyer admits that she was "not sure I would have brought him into the E.R. if it wasn't for his pool incident," but is ultimately happy she did because, "He was breathing, really, really weird and kind of struggling a little bit."
The morning show host took Oliver back to the doctor on Tuesday as the toddler still had a 102 fever and learned it had "turned into an ear infection for him."
Dreyer and husband Brian Fichera suspected that son Rusty, 13 months, would get the virus next, which was concerning as "he was a premie, so he's got lung concerns as it is."
"I was trying to keep Ollie away from the other two, so we would have Ollie and our bed. And I just wanted to listen to his breathing and I kept my hand on his heart the whole night," she shares.
Dreyer noted that the virus "eventually made its way to Rusty."
"With him, he seemed like he was struggling to breathe. He was wheezing, like every exhale he had like this whistle in his chest and the poor thing ended up with a 102 fever."
When Fichera brought Rusty in and found he too tested positive for RSV, the dad of three took him home, only to take Rusty back a few days later to learn he also ended up with an ear infection — in addition to needing "an inhaler, to kind of open up his lungs a little bit."
Getting through the experience, especially with all three boys sharing a room, was tough for the family. Navigating two of their three kids being sick was challenging when "one kid coughing wakes up another kid," in their New York City apartment admitting, "everybody was sort of awake and not sleeping."
"Because it's a virus, there's not much you can do about it. You just have to go through the motions for a few days, and it's so sad. You just feel so bad for him and it just feels so helpless," she adds.
Though she was worried to see that the inhaler "didn't work" for Rusty, the doctor explained to her that the ineffectiveness of the treatment meant "that there's nothing wrong with his lungs" and it was the "virus running its course."
Dreyer also shared some of the symptoms doctors told her to look out for after taking each of the boys home from the E.R.
"Watch for their lips turning blue. Make sure their ribs aren't pulling. Make sure they're not struggling to breathe, and put them in a steam shower. Give them Motrin to keep their fever down. Make sure they stay hydrated," though she admits that doing "these little things" can make parents "feel helpless."
Through it all, Dreyer found "the number one thing is to keep them hydrated."
"It was almost like I was glad they got the ear infection so that I can give them antibiotics," she says — noting they were prescribed "some weird antibiotic" because of concerns "our pharmacy wouldn't have [amoxicillin] because every kid is on antibiotics right now."
"And at least feel like they were taking the turn to feel better because they both really improved," she added.
Dreyer encourages moms to have faith in the fact that "you know your child better than anyone."
"If they just seem out of it, like Ollie was just out of it just like staring off in the space, go to the doctor or go to the E.R., if it's the middle of the night," she says.
"What's the worst that can happen? The doctors say, 'oh it's fine, just go back home and deal with it.' It's like okay, great. As long as you have peace of mind, it just takes some of the fear out of it, as parents, because we don't know what we're doing," adds Dreyer.
As for parents, the mom of three says you have to "find the patience," and know that at a time of year when viruses like this are circulating, "we're all in this together."
"There's gonna be a few restless nights. You're up listening to the monitor or sleeping with them and listening to them, breathe all night," she says, noting the goal is to "just keep them comfortable."
Thankfully, both of her boys have recovered, with Oliver back at school and "happy as can be."
