Daniel Johnson, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, discusses the enterovirus 68 outbreak spreading across the country, affecting hundreds of children with severe respiratory symptoms. Comer Children’s Hospital was one of the first in the country to report a surge in enterovirus cases, and has been working proactively with the CDC to track the disease.
“We think it’s really important to document what’s going on, so that way we can understand further manifestations of this virus and start to anticipate if it’s present in a child,” Johnson said. “At Comer Children’s Hospital, we can be really proud of the teamwork that was on display in recognizing and moving quickly to better understand this outbreak.”
As for parents worried about their children catching the bug, he said: “One of the most important things, always, is: Wash your hands. Wash your hands. This way you can protect other people in your household, and you can protect yourself.”