On Monday, the 8th of September, health officials reported that a respiratory virus has stricken more than 1,000 children across 10 states, causing many to wind up in the hospital and prompting concerns of a wider outbreak.
About 15 percent of more than 300 children treated for respiratory illness in Missouri have ended up in an intensive care unit, according to a health alert from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Children’s Hospital Colorado reported that 86 kids have been hospitalized out of more than 900 treated for severe respiratory illness since Aug. 18.
Though the virus has not been officially identified, health experts suspect that it could be a rare respiratory virus known as Enterovirus D68, or EV-D68, which belongs to a family of viruses that includes the common cold, as a recent examination of 22 specimens at a CDC lab tested, showed that 19 came back positive for the nasty bug.
Children infected with this virus will appear to have a severe cold, with runny nose, sneezing and cough, according to the Children’s Hospital in Washington D.C., but the illness can escalate very quickly, and the child could experience trouble breathing which may lead to a panic or anxiety attack.
Washington D.C., Delaware, Missouri, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio have sent samples to the CDC for analysis, according to news reports, and antibiotics won’t work against a virus, and there is no antiviral treatment available for EV-D68, public health officials said.
Despite the unusually high numbers, hospital officials believe most children are going to wind up with a common cold as a result of the virus, and even those with more severe symptoms will recover, with the vast majority of kids stabilized within 24 hours.
The average kid goes home in four or five days. That’s not a short hospitalization, but they are going home.
Good hygiene is the best defense against a child catching the EV-D68 virus.
The experts at Advanced Bio Treatment, who are specialists in the cleanup of biohazardous material and decontamination of scenes exposed to dangerous biological and chemical pathogens such as MRSA, Influenza, CDIFF, and many more, recommend teaching your children to properly wash their hands often, which is paramount in preventing cross contamination.
It is so vital for children and adults to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds on a regular basis, but it is also important to try to avoid contact with people who are sick, as well as staying home if you or your children fall ill.
Children with an underlying history of asthma are especially at risk for this significant illness which may require hospitalization, so health officials say that parents of these children stay particularly vigilant and keep their children up to date on their medications. Enteroviruses are very common, according to the CDC.
There are more than 100 types of enteroviruses, and they cause about 10 million to 15 million infections in the United States each year. People who come down with a bad summer cold often have been laid low by an enterovirus, the federal agency said. At Advanced Bio Treatment, we are well trained and highly knowledgeable in handling these, and other, nasty bugs and in their extermination.
After an illness in your home, office, school, medical center, or day care, you must take steps to safeguard the health and well-being of those who count on you to look out for them, the kids. If worried about the presence or spread of an infectious disease, don’t feel overwhelmed or worried, Advanced Bio Treatment is here to help.
If you’re responsible for an office, day care center, church or the like, safety is always of utmost importance. You can’t afford to try deal with something as potentially serious as a infectious disease outbreak on your own. That’s why we’re here. Advanced Bio Treatment will research your particular problem and give you a cleanup and sanitation plan tailored to your situation.
We are well trained, OSHA compliant, and meets all EPA guidelines for disposal of infectious material. The health hazards posed by Bird Flu, Swine Flu or H1N1, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus infections or MRSA have been all over the news a lately, and now we must think about this scary respiratory illness which spreads easily because of the coughing.
The potential for the spread of infectious diseases seems to never have been higher, some of which can be deadly and are particularly dangerous to anyone with a weakened immune system, like children, the sick or the elderly. That’s why the experience, certified field technicians at ABT are more needed than ever in the community.
Whether you need a Staph infection cleanup, C-DIFF cleanup, or any other infectious disease cleanup, the sanitation and decontamination technicians here at ABT have the cleanup skills protect you and yours. ABT are trained professionals who have the equipment and knowledge to handle any incidents involving biohazardous material and are certified by the EPA and OSHA. We will handle everything from removing furniture to working with your insurance company.
Regardless of whether the scene is at your home and personal property, a commercial business, or industrial site, we’ll strictly adhere to OSHA regulations and API Worksafe guidelines in our cleanup efforts. We only deploy EPA registered hospital grade cleansers and disinfectants.
If you need infectious disease clean-up guidance, have questions about your payment options or current insurance policy covers don’t hesitate to give Advanced Bio Treatment a call at: 800-295-1684.
photo credit: Kakapo31 via photopin cc
