Dr. Garcia's encourages you to share this information regarding "Enterovirus D68 Parent and Guardian Update" with your family, friends and community.
Government of the District of Columbia
Department of Health
Division of Epidemiology-Disease Surveillance & Investigation
September 18, 2014
Dear Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s):
The District of Columbia Department of Health is providing the following information on Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) to help reduce the risk of you or your children becoming infected.
EV-D68 is one of the causes of common cold, but can cause more severe illness. Mild infection can cause fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, body and muscle aches. Severe infection can cause wheezing and difficulty breathing. People with asthma may have a higher risk for severe respiratory illness. EV-D68 likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches a surface that is later touched by an uninfected person.
As with other causes of the common cold, there is no vaccine or specific treatment other than symptom directed medications and supportive care.
Important prevention measures include:
- Frequent hand washing with soap and water for all family members
- Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue or the upper arm/elbow instead of the hand
- Clean surfaces with bleach cleaning solutions
Alcohol-based sanitizing solutions are not as effective against this type of virus.
Proper hand washing includes:
- Scrubbing all hand surfaces, including under the nails, with soap and water
- Spending a minimum of 20 seconds performing the activity
If you don’t have a timer, try humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice while washing your hands.
Hand washing should be done right after using the bathroom, eating or drinking and participating in group activities such as sports. If your child is showing any symptoms of the virus please contact your healthcare provider immediately.
For additional information, please visit:
doh.dc.gov/page/enterovirus-d-68-and-other-non-polio-enterviruses
Sincerely,
Joxel Garcia, MD, MBA
Director
