The Enterovirus that has been causing polio-like symptoms and deaths--is there a thread yet?

[Pen]

If there isn't a thread yet, here is a place for one!

 

I think it deserves its whole own discussion, and not to be brought up in the course of discussing ebola.

 

Feel free to discuss anything related to the enterovirus here.

 

Some questions to maybe start you off:

 

Are there cases near where you are?

 

What are you doing to teach your children good precautions?

 

Are you incorporating learning about viruses etc. into your homeschooling?  If so, how?

 

What is the current news / knowledge coming out about how this seems to be spreading?

 

Are you worried/concerned about it? Why or why not?

[Aelwydd]

Washing hands, no touching faces, disinfecting hockey equipment, because even before enterovirus, just ewww.

 

My ds has asthma, so I'm really watching for this bug.

[PeacefulChaos]

I don't know and I don't care.  

 

:D :D

 

Seriously though, it isn't going to change anything that we do anyway.  So I'm not reading about it and I've actually announced on FB that if my friends post about it, I'll hide them.  I don't want to hear it.  It's fear mongering on the part of the media and I won't stand for friends of mine trying to make it worse.

 

 

[happypamama]

I have one little one who is particularly susceptible to upper respiratory things, but we have albuterol on hand for him (and for me, too since I have asthma). If he gets any symptoms of this enterovirus, I won't mess around; I'll take him to the doctor faster than I would other kids.

 

I am dosing everyone with vitamin D, and we observe regular good hygiene, frequent hand washing, etc. I've been a real stickler the past couple of flu seasons about wiping shopping carts, really limiting library visits (DD or DD pick up books on hold for us, but all the toys and littles -- icky), and absolutely not allowing any public water fountain use, and we didn't have any colds the past couple of winters, much less the flu. So I did crack down on those things early this year because of this enterovirus.

 

I did think the article about the preschooler in NJ who died was sad, but a little misleading. The little guy was one of a group of triplets, and I'm guessing he was probably born early, which puts him at higher risk for problems from stuff like this, right? Not that it isn't tragic, because it is, and I'm so sorry for his family, but is that considered to be a different category of risk from the average 4yo?

[Whereneverever]

My four had it. It was bad but they are ok. It's scary, though, one of my friends has a four year old in the Icu with it. :(

[ocelotmom]

I think my kids had it. It did hit my mildly asthmatic kids hard, and she isn't usually hit harder than the others by illness. This was before there was an official case in my area, but it turned out they weren't actually testing for it yet, so there you go.

 

Based on our experience with it, I do not think it is just fear-mongering. People with known risk factors should be careful of this one.

 

Keep in mind that, with polio, the vast majority of people infected had no symptoms or only very mild symptoms. Paralysis was only common because it was so widespread.I suspect that's similar to what we're seeing here, and the handful of confirmed cases represent a small portion of the whole.

[lollie010]

I think my kids had it. It did hit my mildly asthmatic kids hard, and she isn't usually hit harder than the others by illness. This was before there was an official case in my area, but it turned out they weren't actually testing for it yet, so there you go.

 

Based on our experience with it, I do not think it is just fear-mongering. People with known rush factors should be careful of this one.

.

This was our experience, too. It was popping up in our area about a month ago. Most everyone was fine, but the kids we know with asthma were hit hard. I am sure my asthmatic 5 yo had it. His asthma has always been well controlled and pretty much a non issue. Then when everyone in the family got mild coughs, runny noses and fatigue...it all went straight to his chest. He, at 5, thought he was dying. I knew he would pull through but it was a very scary 72 hours with overnight couch-side vigils. He still isn't quite back to himself. I don't see it as "fear-mongering" if you love someone with asthma. :( About a week after it went through our family, my son's infectious disease doctor appeared on the local news to discuss and answer questions. No panicking, just confirming it was in our area and disseminating information about how to prevent and treat.

[Annie G]

I don't know very much about it and my kids are all adults now. But our local school districts sent out a letter telling parents to keep their kids home if they have runny nose, cough, etc.  They said it shares symptoms with a cold so keep your kids home if they have any of those symptoms. I expect LOTS of kids will be kept him with just a case of the sniffles. And the teachers are going to have a difficult time making progress with so many kids out sick.  Some parents are keeping their well kids home anyway because they are worried.  

[fruitofthewomb]

I haven't heard much about this virus on the news lately. I googled it to see if it was even in my state & the news articles are all 1-2 weeks old. There has only been 1 confirmed case in my state.

 

I don't have a child with asthma but I do have a baby. I really haven't started with my usual 'flu season' precautions but I have thought that maybe I should start.

 

My younger kids had runny noses & coughs last week-maybe they had it? No fever though so I doubt it.

 

If one of my kids had asthma I would be much more concerned.

 

I was in the nursery at church last night & had the urge to bleach everything! Maybe I will!

[Paige]

I am also concerned and glad the media is sharing what they know. It will change what we do. Two of my kids have compromised lungs. Normally, they get a little sicker than the rest of us but only need an inhaler or other steroids to get them through an infection. We have inhalers here so I'd usually not consider taking them to the doctor for anything unless they were really sick for a while and the inhaler wasn't effective. Since I've read about how the enterovirus has quickly progressed in other kids, I'll be sure to bring my asthma girls to the doctor asap if they seem to be getting a virus that affects their breathing. I won't wait as long as I normally would. I've seen scary breathing attacks and don't want to risk seeing that again.

[Jane Elliot]

I don't get concerned about these things unless dh (an MD) is concerned. He rarely gets concerned, but this time he is. He saw several cases yesterday and had to ship one of them straight to the ER. We'll be a bit more cautious about social engagements for awhile. (We do a lot of potlucks.)

[shawthorne44]

DD has a Lego class with a child that recovered from it.  They are all 4-year-olds.  

Their mother was told, "There are strains of this virus.  Some are very bad and some aren't."  All you can do is go home provide fluids and bed rest and hope that it isn't one of the bad ones."    She did and he recovered.  

[prairiewindmomma]

The peak of the outbreak in our area is over, but there are still dozens of kids going to the ER every day and being admitted to PICU. Enteroviruses tend to peak in the fall, which is also the peak of allergy season for my asthmatic kids and I. Our specialists have asked us to use our usual flu season precautions + to keep steroids on hand + call at first cough/wheeze. The troubling thing to them is that EV68 is causing kids to crash quickly....they are asking us to call at first cough/wheeze if we know it's not from allergy exposure. Their office does a call ahead to the ER if someone has to go in; it helps with our local hospital's triage system which is totally overwhelmed. It also helps them manage their call-ins for staffing from respiratory therapy.

 

Our state has not had the polio complications like in Cali and in CO; it would be interesting to see if there's some genetic predisposition in the patients that are having the polio issues or if there is a slight mutation in the virus in those areas.  From what I read, it sounds like Bell's Palsy is appearing and then it's affecting other limbs....

[Lady Florida.]

There's been only one case so far in Florida. A 10 year old (girl I think) recovered from it recently. I'm not concerned for ds, but am for my grandsons. The 2-1/2 year old started preschool a few weeks ago. However, his mother (ddil) is a nurse and his father (dss) is a paramedic. I know they'll be on top of things.

[Mergath]

I just googled and the most recent article I could find said there are at least a dozen cases here in Minnesota.  I'm pretty sure we had some strain of enterovirus already.  We had some kind of virus with the same symptoms, and we were fine, but it could easily have been a different strain.  I'm not especially worried about it, but I don't have any kids with respiratory issues, so it's not as much of a concern for us as for some families.

[Laurie4b]

I am not a germaphobe but when SARS (I think it was) was around, I did take extra precautions in terms of ramping up hygiene. 

 

If I still had young kids, I would want to know that the group settings my kids are in with other kids are practicing routine hygiene. Kids should wash hands upon entering and before and after eating (before eating to get off germs they've picked up; after eating to get their own germs/saliva off their hands so as not to infect others), after using the bathroom.  Toys should be sterilized after use, so if as a pp said upthread, she wants to bleach all the toys in the nursery, I'd ask why that isn't done after each use. (It is not that hard to spray down surfaces with a bleach solution, or to wash washable toys in regular old dish detergent. ) These are the kinds of things preschools and day cares do that other groups settings often omit.

 

Some people may think that's overkill (even though it's routine care in well-run preschools, etc.)  They are usually the people whose kids do not have asthma, are immunocompromised, live with someone immunocompromised, etc. I think it is basic consideration to take reasonable precautions to protect others, even if your own risk is minimal if you contract it.

 

[Wheres Toto]

My kids have both had a slightly nastier than usual cold in the past couple of weeks, about two weeks apart, Ds just had it earlier this week.  Both started with stuffiness and coughing, had a mild fever and vomited once or twice.  Both were over it within 24 hours except for a lingering cough.  Ds also has allergies this time of year so it's hard to tell where allergies leave off and something else begins.  Neither have asthma so other than keeping them home for the days they were sick, pushing fluids and letting them rest, we aren't really doing anything different.

 

[Lisbeth]

I don't know and I don't care.  

 

:D :D

 

Seriously though, it isn't going to change anything that we do anyway.  So I'm not reading about it and I've actually announced on FB that if my friends post about it, I'll hide them.  I don't want to hear it.  It's fear mongering on the part of the media and I won't stand for friends of mine trying to make it worse.

 

Wow, I am very sincerely fascinated by this attitude.  You won't stand for friends saying what they want to say?  Wow.

[Lisbeth]

Count me as one who is grateful for the info.  I have one child who has asthma.  Because she also has severe, life-threatening food allergies, she already has learned to not touch her eyes, nose or mouth on a regular basis.  I have heard of pediatricians staying well by following that policy.  It is just a habit; she just doesn't touch her face unless she's washed her hands (kind of like you learn to not rub your eyes if you are a regular wearer of mascara.)

 

We are being a bit extra cautious.  If a group outing is unnecessary, we are more likely to skip it than go, just until this blows over.  I have upped the things we do to try to increase our immunity naturally.  We are watching her (and the others) for symptoms a little more.  Her rescue inhaler was set to expire in a few months.  I refilled it early.  That's about it.

 

I am very interested in the fear-mongering idea.  People will say, "People are so cautious/afraid/paranoid now, but that pandemic didn't happen."  Or, "People are so paranoid now, but incidents of child abduction are actually down statistically compared to the past."  How do we know if those things don't occur or are fewer because they just are, or because people are more paranoid/cautious and taking more measures?

 

[Pen]

I am not a germaphobe but when SARS (I think it was) was around, I did take extra precautions in terms of ramping up hygiene. 

 

If I still had young kids, I would want to know that the group settings my kids are in with other kids are practicing routine hygiene. Kids should wash hands upon entering and before and after eating (before eating to get off germs they've picked up; after eating to get their own germs/saliva off their hands so as not to infect others), after using the bathroom.  Toys should be sterilized after use, so if as a pp said upthread, she wants to bleach all the toys in the nursery, I'd ask why that isn't done after each use. (It is not that hard to spray down surfaces with a bleach solution, or to wash washable toys in regular old dish detergent. ) These are the kinds of things preschools and day cares do that other groups settings often omit.

 

Some people may think that's overkill (even though it's routine care in well-run preschools, etc.)  They are usually the people whose kids do not have asthma, are immunocompromised, live with someone immunocompromised, etc. I think it is basic consideration to take reasonable precautions to protect others, even if your own risk is minimal if you contract it.

 

I like your mention of washing hands after eating, not just before doing so. A relative who is an MD also has said that hands should be washed both before and after use of toilet. (The after is to protect others, and the before is to protect oneself from contact to ones own mucous membranes.) Not rubbing eyes is also really important. It tends to be done almost without thinking and the term "in-oculate" is telling. 

 

I think I'd also add keeping warm as very helpful. A whole host of factors that make getting sick easier come into play when the body gets chilled.

 

My ds got something--we do not know what--that included weakness, feverish feelings and rigors (shivering) even though by the thermometer his temp was apparently normal, and just generally feeling lousy.  I gave him a group of vitamins/minerals that tend to be helpful, and also supposedly relevant homeopathic remedies (which may be complete bunk, but at least will not hurt and could help--I've seen some amazing things in animals).  The next day he was fine. We are not in a state with any confirmed cases, but had had visits with relatives from a state where there are. The weakness was scary, but I was glad that whatever it was went away.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I don't know and I don't care.

 

:D :D

 

Seriously though, it isn't going to change anything that we do anyway. So I'm not reading about it and I've actually announced on FB that if my friends post about it, I'll hide them. I don't want to hear it. It's fear mongering on the part of the media and I won't stand for friends of mine trying to make it worse.

In this situation- I think this attitude is bordering on ignorant. I'm sorry. I am. But, it is.

 

This virus is wide spread. Four children have died from it- one child that died wasn't even showing symptoms.

 

I personally know two children who have ended up in the hospital with it. One had asthma and spent a few days in ICU and the other one (2 years old) was completely healthy and still had to spend 2 days in the hospital.

 

It would be smart for parents to know the signs and symptoms of the virus, know when to go to the ER, and know how to treat it. And to know if the virus is mutating, and how.

 

It would also be smart to know if the people around you have it, or have had it- that way you can try to avoid it/take appropriate precautions, or at the very least know that your kids may have been exposed to it, so you can keep a close eye on them.

 

It gets bad very quickly. The child (that I know) who had asthma- it went from... He's having an asthma attack, out regular stuff isn't working let's take him to the doctor, doctor sends to hospital, life flighted to Johns Hopkins- all within 24 hours.

 

My friends 2 yr. old.... Daycare called parents to say she has fever, cough and runny nose- come pick her up, dad picks her up and by the time they get home she's wheezing and her lips are blue, mom doesn't even have time to make it home, she has to meet them at the hospital.

 

Seriously. Both moms couldn't believe how quickly the virus progressed.

 

I can't imagine why anyone would want to stick their heads in the sand and not pay attention to a serious, wide spread, contagious virus that has the potential to land your kid in the hospital- or worse.

[FO4UR]

It's rampant all around us.  I've got a little one and an asthma kid. I'm on high alert.

 

I usually limit my dc's exposure to things like hand sanitizer (soap & water are just fine!), but I've been making an exception this season. I encourage my 22mo to help mommy wipe the grocery cart with those sanitizer wipes. We are avoiding indoor play-places, taking vitamins, and doing what we can. The church nursery is kept super-clean, mouthed on toys go immediately into a designated bucket to be cleaned, etc.

 

 

[Wabi Sabi]

My 3 y/o niece, who has asthma, just spent a week in PICU due to enterovirus. She got sick one day, and by the following day was being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. She was at the first hospital for one night, but the next morning they transferred her to a larger children's hospital with a PICU because they couldn't get her stabilized. She's fine now, but was terribly sick and for days was teetering on the verge of needing to be intubated. She luckily avoided the ventilator, but just barely. 
 

[Murmer]

I am terrified of this disease and there is at least 1 confirmed case in my area....I have an asthmatic kid who normally goes from fine to very very sick in less than 3 hours (IE when she was 4 she was fine in the morning by nap time she had a fever and was breathing fast ended up having pneumonia, or last year she got off the school bus at 102 degree fever and was at urgent care 1 hour after that breathing 60 bpm while asleep).  I usually wait a while and try to care for her at home but this year I will not, even if it means we go to the dr more than normal but I am scared with how fast this disease moves....I wish I could get my kid to wash her hands more but for some reason hand washing is one of her things that drives her autism nuts.

[LMV]

Yes, we're seeing EV-D68 in our state and in the ED where I work as a physician.  I have personally intubated two kids with confirmed disease and the presumption is that the child I intubated during a shift yesterday is also infected but results on that are not back from our state lab.  We have two children of our own at home with asthma so I am trying to be conscientious without paralyzing myself with panic about bringing this home to them. Good handwashing is always key and I'm back in the complete habit of changing out of scrubs and showering before going home.  

[Susan in TN]

I checked yesterday and there were only two cases reported in the state of TN, one east and one west, so no where near us. I have one child who has asthmatic tendencies, so I think if it becomes widespread in our area we will do our best to stay in as much as possible and become obsessive hand washers.

[Jane Elliot]

This morning while dh was telling me about the cases he'd seen yesterday, I was busy cleaning up vomit. Three of our kids have been vomiting over the past couple days. I just kept thinking how thankful I was that we were only experiencing vomiting, not the symptoms of enterovirus. It's nice to find a reason to be thankful for vomit.

 

That said, I'm very concerned for the children and parents who are dealing with enterovirus right now.

[AimeeM]

Yes, from what I've heard we do have cases locally.

 

I'm terrified. My oldest and youngest are healthy, but my middle son has had some pretty extensive heart, lung, and vascular problems (congenital defects). Part of one lung has been removed, and he has had to have some pretty extensive surgical lung and vascular work. He's also generally "frail" medically and physically - if the kids become ill, he is ill for twice as long as the other two kiddos, and with symptoms twice as bad (DD13 may have a 101.5 fever, while DS5 would have a 104.5+ fever), he isn't very strong and tires easily, and is just very small.

 

Of course I worry much about any of my children getting it, but the thought of DS5 getting it gives me chills (in a bad way). I know I sound ridiculously paranoid, but I will say that for the first time in 3 years (since he was post-op) he's wearing a face mask in public again. I know it doesn't do a ton to prevent it, but it makes me feel a bit better.

[blue daisy]

We have a confirmed case in town but I don't know if it was in the schools or not. My kids go to PS but are on fall break so I'm watching to see how things look when they go back. One of my school age children has asthma and the baby has some health issues so I am definitely concerned.

[blue daisy]

Also, My asthma child is a sensory seeker - constantly touching things, putting hands in mouth, etc. Ugh. I going to drill good hand washing practices into him but he makes me so nervous.

[Georgiana Daniels]

According to the map, AZ hasn't had confirmed cases. However, a few weeks back when we were wanting to visit someone else at the hospital, there was a ban on kids under 12 because there was a case of the virus there (as told to me by the person who answered my question when I called and asked why.) Perhaps it was just a precaution, but I tend to think there aren't any states excluded from the virus at this point.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/outbreaks/EV-D68-states.html

[Χά�ων]

My son is immunosupressed and in close physical contact with other children every week. I have made the rounds to request they stay home or wear face masks if sick. I have debated buying a package of face masks and handing them out as needed, or just sticking it on DS.

 

I might be paranoid but past experience has shown how hard DS is hit by viruses that are not known for these complications. He has barely recovered from the last "mild" virus he had. And it wasn't the first time he has been hit hard by a virus and been down for 6+ months.

[gaillardia]

One thing that doesn't get mentioned much: taking off your shoes at the door when you come home. A lot of people habitually do this, or even leave the shoes outside or on a porch, etc., but some of us weren't raised that way! We just wore our shoes all the time when I was growing up.

How would you like to swab your shoes for germs and put that in a petri dish?

[Katy]

Another thing that doesn't get mentioned:  If you're washing your hands a lot more than usual, make sure you have lotion out too.  Chapped, dry skin opens your immune system to stuff your skin typically protects you from.

[JFSinIL]

My twenty-year-old daughter's boss had his kids jumping on a trampoline. Next day the nine-year-old girl complained her body hurt - pulled muscle from jumping, right?

 

Within a day she was in ER, then intensive care....and now is going to the nearest Shriner's hospital. She has some sort of paralysis from below the lungs down, and doctors fear it is a form of the endrovirus.

[hjffkj]

I'm not particularly worried and haven't done anything differently because of it. My children are. Not immune compromised at all. If they were I'd be a bit more cautious but still not worry too much unless it was quite prevalent here. So far there have been 2 confirmed cases. One from a child from my state the other from a child out of state who was treated here, so maybe from a bordering state or maybe was just visiting.

[Laurie4b]

Just a note to those using the wipes the grocery store provides for the carts: I am not sure what the agent is in those. Some agents take 10 min or more before working.

 

On the other hand, carrying hand sanitizer made with ethyl alcohol (most brands except "natural" brands use this) and using that on the grocery cart handle kills germs pretty instantaneously. Here's a CDC article on how fast alcohol works. http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/disinfection_sterilization/6_0disinfection.html

 

 

 

 

 

[Justmeandyou]

It is not yet in my area, but I am concerned.  We'll be doing lots of hand sanitizer.

[IHaveNoIdeawhatIAmDoing]

In this situation- I think this attitude is bordering on ignorant. I'm sorry. I am. But, it is.

 

This virus is wide spread. Four children have died from it- one child that died wasn't even showing symptoms.

 

I personally know two children who have ended up in the hospital with it. One had asthma and spent a few days in ICU and the other one (2 years old) was completely healthy and still had to spend 2 days in the hospital.

 

It would be smart for parents to know the signs and symptoms of the virus, know when to go to the ER, and know how to treat it. And to know if the virus is mutating, and how.

 

It would also be smart to know if the people around you have it, or have had it- that way you can try to avoid it/take appropriate precautions, or at the very least know that your kids may have been exposed to it, so you can keep a close eye on them.

 

It gets bad very quickly. The child (that I know) who had asthma- it went from... He's having an asthma attack, out regular stuff isn't working let's take him to the doctor, doctor sends to hospital, life flighted to Johns Hopkins- all within 24 hours.

 

My friends 2 yr. old.... Daycare called parents to say she has fever, cough and runny nose- come pick her up, dad picks her up and by the time they get home she's wheezing and her lips are blue, mom doesn't even have time to make it home, she has to meet them at the hospital.

 

Seriously. Both moms couldn't believe how quickly the virus progressed.

 

I can't imagine why anyone would want to stick their heads in the sand and not pay attention to a serious, wide spread, contagious virus that has the potential to land your kid in the hospital- or worse.

 

To be fair, the vast majority of people would take their wheezing, blue-lipped children to the emergency room whether or not they're informed of the viruses in the area. Everyone is different. Some people struggle with anxiety and it would do no good for them to follow this closely.

 

 

[wapiti]

. 

 

[Murmer]

To be fair, the vast majority of people would take their wheezing, blue-lipped children to the emergency room whether or not they're informed of the viruses in the area. Everyone is different. Some people struggle with anxiety and it would do no good for them to follow this closely.

 

Yes blue lipped = emergency room...but in my home wheezing usually just means starting the neb and seeing what happens...we have been dealing with my kids asthma for years and have a system that usually works but it also means we don't freak out when the wheezing starts or even the fast breathing....a lot of times I don't even call my dr if she is having issues only if the neb doesn't seem to work...about 1 time a year we do an urgent care visit because it usually isn't a big deal...but with how fast this virus appears to move I have to worry and will be calling the dr immediately when there are any breathing issues because the wait and see approach is not as safe in this instance because of how fast it can go to blue lips emergency.  I am not worried about ebola (not local no one I know is traveling to that area nothing can be done if exposed) but this virus my kid has all the counter-indicatives for ending up in the ICU so I have to worry, I have to watch and I have to be concerned, and I will be calling the dr for any breathing issues and will probably hit up the er a few times this winter just to be sure because I would rather be the crazy mom who brings her kid in than the one whose should have taken her kid in but didn't because she was worried about being seen as the crazy mom.

[trulycrabby]

I think we have already had it, or else something very similar about 6 weeks ago. DS10 had the classic symptoms with cough, DS20 ran a high fever with a stiff neck for three days, DH never had fever or cough but instead developed a nasty sinus infection that required antibiotics.

 

I am aware of it but not fearful.

[Catwoman]

Just a note to those using the wipes the grocery store provides for the carts: I am not sure what the agent is in those. Some agents take 10 min or more before working.

 

On the other hand, carrying hand sanitizer made with ethyl alcohol (most brands except "natural" brands use this) and using that on the grocery cart handle kills germs pretty instantaneously. Here's a CDC article on how fast alcohol works. http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/disinfection_sterilization/6_0disinfection.html

When the news media first started reporting about this illness, they said that alcohol-based hand sanitizers were not effective against enterovirus 68. Did anyone else hear that?

 

They were saying that washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water would kill the virus, but that hand sanitizers wouldn't kill it.

 

Does anyone have any new information about that?

[Jen500]

When the news media first started reporting about this illness, they said that alcohol-based hand sanitizers were not effective against enterovirus 68. Did anyone else hear that?

 

They were saying that washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water would kill the virus, but that hand sanitizers wouldn't kill it.

 

Does anyone have any new information about that?

 

I'd like to know this too, as my ds relies on hand sanitizer at school. I couldn't find anything on the CDC's website beyond washing hands with soap and water.

[Catwoman]

I'd like to know this too, as my ds relies on hand sanitizer at school. I couldn't find anything on the CDC's website beyond washing hands with soap and water.

We rely on hand sanitizer, too. It's not always practical (or even possible) to have soap and water available at all times, so the sanitizer is very convenient.

[Laurie4b]

When the news media first started reporting about this illness, they said that alcohol-based hand sanitizers were not effective against enterovirus 68. Did anyone else hear that?

 

They were saying that washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water would kill the virus, but that hand sanitizers wouldn't kill it.

 

Does anyone have any new information about that?

 

i didn't hear that. I just knew that alcohol works quickly because it dries out the bacteria and most "wipes" work slowly because they poision it. (Also possibly contribute to antibiotic resistance that way.)  The CDC link I gave earlier specifically says that alcohol is effective against enterovirus, but maybe this specific one is different.

 

ETA: I googled and found one article that said that alcohol based disinfectants are not effective for this particular virus (even on surfaces.) They didn't say which ones were, though. The CDC site just said "Disinfect" surfaces such as door knobs, etc. It didn't say with what.

[Χά�ων]

We rely on hand sanitizer, too. It's not always practical (or even possible) to have soap and water available at all times, so the sanitizer is very convenient.

 

 

From CNN

some speculation that hand sanitizers don't work with this virus

 

 

 

New Jersey Department of Health is the only place I have found that outright says hand sanitizer is not effective in kill the enteroviruse. 

EV-D68 is spread through close contact with infected people. Enteroviruses can be found in respiratory 

secretions, such as saliva (spit), nasal mucus (snot) and sputum (thick mucus in the lungs) and stool 

(poop). The virus likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes and 

you can also become infected by touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them and then 

touching your mouth, nose or eyes and when a person touches poop and does not wash their hands.

Hand sanitizer is not effective in killing Enteroviruses

 

 

From the CDC Note it does not say either way, but it does stress handwashing

 

 

How can I protect myself?

You can help prevent yourself from getting and spreading EV-D68 and other respiratory illnesses by following these steps:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. See Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.

Also, see an infographic that shows these prevention steps.

There are no vaccines for preventing EV-D68 infections.

 

 

I did go ahead and go to the CDC's page on hand sanitizer to see what it had to say

 

Show me the Science -When to use Hand Sanitizer

 

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

 

Why? Many studies have found that sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers.  Non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers may 1) not work equally well for all classes of germs (for example, Gram-positive vs. Gram-negative bacteria, Cryptosporidium, norovirus); 2) cause germs to develop resistance to the sanitizing agent; 3) merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright, or 4) be more likely to irritate skin than alcohol-based hand sanitizers

 

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

 

Why? Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly people may not use a large enough volume of the sanitizers or may wipe it off before it has dried 10. Furthermore, soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing or inactivating certain kinds of germs, like Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile.

 

Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

 

Why? Many studies show that hand sanitizers work well in clinical settings like hospitals, where hands come into contact with germs but generally are not heavily soiled or greasy.  Some data also show that hand sanitizers may work well against certain types of germs on slightly soiled hands.. However, hands may become very greasy or soiled in community settings, such as after people handle food, play sports, work in the garden, or go camping or fishing. When hands are heavily soiled or greasy, hand sanitizers may not work well.  Handwashing with soap and water is recommended in such circumstances.

 

 

[Ausmumof3]

Most hand sanitisers say antibacterial but not antiviral.

[Χά�ων]

We rely on hand sanitizer, too. It's not always practical (or even possible) to have soap and water available at all times, so the sanitizer is very convenient.

 

 

From CNN

 

some speculation that hand sanitizers don't work with this virus

 

 

 

New Jersey Department of Health is the only place I have found that outright says hand sanitizer is not effective in kill the enteroviruse. 

 

EV-D68 is spread through close contact with infected people. Enteroviruses can be found in respiratory 

secretions, such as saliva (spit), nasal mucus (snot) and sputum (thick mucus in the lungs) and stool 

(poop). The virus likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes and 

you can also become infected by touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them and then 

touching your mouth, nose or eyes and when a person touches poop and does not wash their hands.

Hand sanitizer is not effective in killing Enteroviruses

 

 

From the CDC Note it does not say either way, but it does stress handwashing

 

How can I protect myself?

You can help prevent yourself from getting and spreading EV-D68 and other respiratory illnesses by following these steps:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. See Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve, not your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.

Also, see an infographic that shows these prevention steps.

There are no vaccines for preventing EV-D68 infections.

 

 

 

I did go ahead and go to the CDC's page on hand sanitizer to see what it had to say

 

Show me the Science -When to use Hand Sanitizer

 

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

 

Why? Many studies have found that sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers.  Non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers may 1) not work equally well for all classes of germs (for example, Gram-positive vs. Gram-negative bacteria, Cryptosporidium, norovirus); 2) cause germs to develop resistance to the sanitizing agent; 3) merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright, or 4) be more likely to irritate skin than alcohol-based hand sanitizers

 

 

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

 

Why? Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly people may not use a large enough volume of the sanitizers or may wipe it off before it has dried 10. Furthermore, soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing or inactivating certain kinds of germs, like Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile.

 

 

Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

 

Why? Many studies show that hand sanitizers work well in clinical settings like hospitals, where hands come into contact with germs but generally are not heavily soiled or greasy.  Some data also show that hand sanitizers may work well against certain types of germs on slightly soiled hands.. However, hands may become very greasy or soiled in community settings, such as after people handle food, play sports, work in the garden, or go camping or fishing. When hands are heavily soiled or greasy, hand sanitizers may not work well.  Handwashing with soap and water is recommended in such circumstances.

[Pen]

My son is immunosupressed and in close physical contact with other children every week. I have made the rounds to request they stay home or wear face masks if sick. I have debated buying a package of face masks and handing them out as needed, or just sticking it on DS.

 

I might be paranoid but past experience has shown how hard DS is hit by viruses that are not known for these complications. He has barely recovered from the last "mild" virus he had. And it wasn't the first time he has been hit hard by a virus and been down for 6+ months.

 

I would tend to think the mask on your ds would be more useful than trying to get everyone else to wear them, though you could try for both. I saw some kids wearing "cute" masks that looked sort of like animal muzzles with whiskers back during swine flu. "Cute" might help make it more fun and improve compliance.  Don't know where they got these.

 

What about gloves of some sort?