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I just finished speaking with our infectious diseases specialist who oversees infection control for our institution, given the amount of press around this virus and the fact I work with children with severely impaired immune systems. The parents of several of our patients have called in to ask about this apparent outbreak.
Her (the ID specialist's) parting message was this is a standard enterovirus and we see several strains of this virus around this time of year. Standard common sense precautions should be sufficient for most (avoiding close contact with symptomatic people, hand washing, etc.), and children who are anticipated to have a rougher time with any respiratory virus (e.g. those with asthma) are expected to do so with this one. She feels that the news outlets have found a non-news item and are spinning it to get headlines.
HTH.
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"The dignity of man is not shattered in a single blow, but slowly softened, bent, and eventually neutered. Men are seldom forced to act, but are constantly restrained from acting. Such power does not destroy outright, but prevents genuine existence. It does not tyrannize immediately, but it dampens, weakens, and ultimately suffocates, until the entire population is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid, uninspired animals, of which the government is shepherd." - Alexis de Tocqueville
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