For most kids, Enterovirus D68 won’t be tougher than common cold
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014, 6:29 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014, 6:36 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Despite the vast amount of attention that’s been focused on the danger Enterovirus D68 poses to children, the reality is that for most kids, the respiratory virus wouldn’t be much tougher than a bout with the common cold.
About a dozen cases of the virus, which is characterized by fever, runny nose, coughing, and general achiness, were confirmed in New York State last week; none have been reported yet in New Jersey. Although it’s described by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as a “mild-to-severe” illness, it doesn’t attack adults, who have developed the antibodies necessary to ward it off through prolonged exposure to similar diseases.
There is a risk for some kids, especially if they have a history of asthma or wheezing, said Julia A. Piwoz, M.D., chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at the Hackensack University Medical Center.
“Certain kids are getting sicker than we would ordinarily expect from summer colds, and kids with asthma tend to have more respiratory distress with this than they would with a cold. That could trigger an asthma attack,” she said.
Still, she said, there is no specific treatment or antiviral for EV-D68, and hospitals will likely handle it the same way they handle other cases of the flu.
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