BARNSTABLE – Health officials are dealing with the spread of Enterovirus D68, and that’s led Cape Cod Healthcare to take some extra precautions locally.
The virus doesn’t present a threat to teenagers and adults, but it does present a risk to children with respiratory conditions.
“The problem is if someone has any kind of respiratory compromise, say a child with Asthma or a a child with a severe respiratory illness, they may become more significantly ill with the enterovirus, and that’s what people are anxious about,” said Dr. Donald Guadagnoli, the Chief Medical Officer at Cape Cod Hospital:
No cases have been confirmed on the Cape, but officials are still taking the opportunity to be cautious and have asked that children under 14 not visit maternity or pediatric units for the time being.
“We know that it’s the children under 14 who may not have the immunity, we know that they’re the ones more likely to pass it on,” Guadagnoli said.
The first confirmed case in Massachusetts was announced this week. A girl was treated and released at Children’s Hospital in Boston.
