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Respiratory Virus Sends Hundreds To The Hospital

Ten states have asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate a rare virus suspected of sending hundreds of children in the South and Midwest to the hospital.

Dozens of people have been tested positive for Enterovirus EV-D68. There are more than 100 types of enterovirus, but this one is uncommon. It begins with cold-like symptoms and can cause serious respiratory problems.

The virus isn’t usually deadly, but there are fears that it could spread throughout the country.

In Kansas City, Missouri, officials say more than 30 children a day have been hospitalized, and 15% of them were placed in intensive care.

The states that have contacted the CDC for assistance are: Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, joins Here & Now’s Robin Young to discuss whether the virus will spread.

Guest

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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