School has barely started, but startling numbers of children in at least 10 states are coming down with a mysterious cold-like infection that has left many gasping for breath and hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs).
This is serious and the numbers will change daily. As of this writing, more than 900 children were seen in just one Colorado hospital emergency room. In Kansas City, Children’s Mercy Hospital has seen almost 500 kids in the ER suffering with severe respiratory infections. That means that hundreds of other hospitals across the country are likely experiencing similar outbreaks. Thousands of children are probably suffering. This virus is spreading fast.
According to the CDC, the agency first became aware of something strange in mid-August. Hospitals in Chicago and Kansas City noted admissions for severe breathing problems higher than anticipated for that time of year. Difficulty breathing was the common complaint. For some children, the symptoms were so severe they needed mechanical breathing support.
Since then, a dozen states have reported clusters of cases:
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Utah
Officials in North Carolina have contacted the CDC for help in investigating the possibility that the infection has hit that state too. As the media highlights this emerging health concern, we suspect that dozens of other states will soon discover that this virus is spreading without respect for borders.
The infection appears to be caused by Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). What is this? It’s early days, so there are many unanswered questions. Although in some respects this infection is similar to rhinoviruses that cause colds, there is clearly something different about EV-D68. The virus was first discovered in the 1960s. As far as we know, it has not caused this kind of epidemic of severe breathing complications until now.
Why certain children are experiencing such serious respiratory problems while others have a fairly mild reaction like a common cold is a mystery. The response to infection is highly unpredictable. A history of asthma appears to make some children more vulnerable to respiratory problems, though this may not always be the case.
The CDC encourages people to wash hands frequently, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, avoid hugging or kissing people who are sick and disinfect things like toys and doorknobs if a child is sick. These are pretty standard recommendations, but we’re not sure how practical they will be for young children in kindergarten or early school.
Bottom Line:
There is no vaccine or antiviral drug that we know of to combat Enterovirus D68. This is seemingly a rare virus that health professionals have relatively little experience with. Emergency departments have been surprised by its virulence.
The best hospitals can offer is supportive care. That can be life saving if a child is having trouble breathing. Parents should be alert for symptoms such as wheezing, even in children with no history of asthma. Over the next several days and weeks we are likely to learn a lot more about EV-D68. No doubt the media will show lots of scary videos of children in ICUs. Let’s not panic, but do pay attention to what is happening in your community. If you or your child gets sick, please stay home and do not help this virus spread any faster than it already is.
