Respiratory Virus Hospitalizing Kids Confirmed in Iowa

Iowa has confirmed cases of a respiratory illness that has sent hundreds of children to hospitals across the country.

Enterovirus 68 could be in as many as a dozen states. The Washington Post reported that dozens of children were afflicted by the illness in Illinois and Missouri. On Monday the Iowa Department of Public Health was told by the Centers for Disease Control that samples from patients sent from the state had tested positive.

“We’re not seeing an overwhelming number of cases here in Iowa,” Ann Garvey of the Iowa Department of Public Health told the post.

Suspected cases had been reported in Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky and Utah, CNN reported.

The virus can cause severe respiratory illness in children and has resulted in some patients being admitted to intensive care units, the Centers for Disease Control stated. In Chicago there were more than a dozen confirmed cases, including two instances in which mechanical ventilation was required.

The CDC states that common symptoms are cough, wheezing and shortness of breath and it notes that some will be people will be much more impacted by the illness than others. So far the illness has tended to infect infants, children and adolescents disproportionately.

The disease does not cause permanent damage and goes away as the body “clears the virus and the inflammatory reaction” subsides. To prevent infection the CDC suggests the following:

• Wash your hands
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid kissing, hugging, sharing cups or utensils with anyone who is ill
• Teach children to cover their mouths when coughing
• Disinfect counters, toys, doorknobs and phones regularly