Unidentified Virus Hospitalizes Hundreds of Children in the Midwest – Possible Outbreak in Kentucky
With the rapidly changing weather and kids moving indoors to more public areas like school, it's no surprise that we are seeing our kids getting sick. However, the CDC is calling the new unidentified virus that has affected over 1,000 children "unprecedented."
The CDC believes the virus is enterovirus 68 which has been seen in Asia, Europe and previously in the US. It causes coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. The virus has swept from Colorado to North Carolina and there is a possible outbreak in Kentucky.
Though most symptoms range from mild to intense, most patients only need treatment for symptoms such as cough suppressants, but a bulletin released by the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services advisory, warns that "Some people with severe respiratory illness caused by EV-D68 may need to be hospitalized and receive intensive supportive therapy." According to CNN, hundreds of children have been hospitalized throughout the Midwest.
According to CNN,
"It's worse in terms of scope of critically ill children who require intensive care. I would call it unprecedented. I've practiced for 30 years in pediatrics, and I've never seen anything quite like this," said Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, division director for infectious diseases at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. The hospital has treated about 475 children with at least 60 of them received intensive hospitalization.
The best defense against this virus - WASH YOUR HANDS. Antibacterial gels will have no effect on this since it's a virus so be sure to thoroughly clean your family's hands many times each day.