With the all the media attention given to the recent outbreak in the U.S. of the Enterovirus D68, worried parents are using social media to express concern about the virus making its way to Chatham.
Officials with the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit are monitoring the incidents of severe respiratory illness in area hospitals and as of press time, there is no cause for concern.
The virus presents with cold and flu-like symptoms, according to WebMD, and severe symptoms reported include laboured breathing or asthma-like symptoms.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said he and his staff are on top of the situation and the most important fact about the outbreak is that no deaths have been reported in any jurisdiction.
“We are being very vigilant,” Colby said. “If we see a spike in patients going to emerg with respiratory symptoms, we will ask that testing be done (to do determine if the virus is D68).”
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and health unit have a co-operative system in place to monitor “syndromic presentation” of communicable diseases and Colby said it works very well to keep health officials informed of any potential risk to public health.
“The majority of viruses in most people are mild, and only a small portion of people get severe symptoms,” he said.
Although D68 is named an enterovirus, Colby said it actually behaves more like a rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. The virus is also not a new one, he said, as it was first discovered in California in 1962. And because it is a virus, there is no cure or treatment, as antibiotics only work if the infection is bacterial.
Colby advises the public to take the same precautions they do during flu season to stop the spread of viruses – cough or sneeze into your sleeve and wash your hands often and well. Treat the symptoms as you would cold or flu with plenty of rest and fluids.
