Wash your hands! A respiratory virus is sending kids to the hospital
A pediatric respiratory illness associated with the common cold has spread from the Midwest to 38 states and may be making its way to Arizona. This particular type of enterovirus — EV-D68 — is uncommon but not new. It was first identified in the 1960s and there had been only 100 reported cases since then. It’s possible that the relatively low number might be because EV-D68 is hard to identify. Parents and kids are advised to wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Disinfect toys. Avoid sharing cups or utensils with sick children. Symptoms of the virus resemble a bad cold – body aches and a cough – but warning signs that a child requires immediate medical care are rapid or labored breathing that involves neck muscles, wheezing, complaining of chest pain, not being able to catch one’s breath, and blue lips. A baby who has to stop drinking from a bottle to breathe should be seen by a doctor. The sick child may not have a fever.
