By Jim Hoft
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning pediatricians and parents about a rare and serious respiratory disease that is affecting children.
It is not Covid-19 or flu, it is called Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68).
“Healthcare providers and hospitals in several regions of the United States notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during August 2022 about increases in pediatric hospitalizations in patients with severe respiratory illness who also tested positive for rhinovirus (RV) and/or enterovirus (EV)… Upon further typing, some specimens have been positive for enterovirus D68 (EV-D68),” according to CDC’s website.
Diagnosing Enterovirus D68 can be difficult because its symptoms are similar to those of the common cold like runny nose, cough, and fever.