Respiratory Virus Hospitalizing Ohio Kids: What You Need to Know

A respiratory illness that has sent hundreds of children to hospitals across the country could be in as many as 10 states including Ohio.

Fox News reported that Cuyahoga County Health Department had confirmed a rise in respiratory-related visits to the hospital. The TV station also reported that two samples were being sent to the Centers for Disease Control to confirm whether Enterovirus D68 was in northeast Ohio.

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

Cases also have been confirmed in Iowa, Colorado and Missouri. Suspected cases have been reported in Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky and Utah, CNN reported.

“Like any asthma attack, if it’s not treated it can be fatal because of respiratory failure,” Dr. Nazha Abughali of MetroHealth Medical told Fox News.

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