Legacy ER & Urgent Care Warns North Texans about Dangers of Enterovirus D68
FRISCO, Texas (PRWEB) September 17, 2014 -- Prevention is the best treatment for the Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) outbreak that is hospitalizing scores of infants, children and teenagers in 12 states, including nearby Oklahoma and Louisiana, says Dr. Kirk Mahon, medical director of Legacy ER & Urgent Care (LER) in Frisco, Texas.
“There have been no reported cases of EV-D68 so far in North Texas, but with it hitting Oklahoma and Louisiana, that could change,” he said. “Implementing prevention strategies now may help keep any outbreak in check if it hits our region, because there is no vaccine or proven treatment for this potentially dangerous respiratory virus.”
Dr. Mahon says the virus is transmitted person-to-person via respiratory secretions emitted through sneezing and coughing. He advises parents to ensure their children:
• Wash their hands regularly with soap and warm water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against this virus
• Avoid touching their faces with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with sick children, such as hugging or sharing cups and eating utensils
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children with a history of asthma or other respiratory conditions are most at risk for the severe form of the disease. Any child, however, is susceptible to the illness, whose milder symptoms mimic a strong cold and include runny nose, sneezing, cough and body aches. Fever is a less-common symptom, reported in only 25 percent of cases. In more serious cases, symptoms include difficulty breathing and noticeable wheezing.
“Enteroviruses are common this time of year as children start school and germs are spread. What has been abnormal with this outbreak is the relatively high number of children hospitalized,” said Dr. Mahon. “If your child shows severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, then it’s important that you take them to a physician so they can be examined and tested—especially if they have asthma or other pre-existing respiratory conditions.”
About Legacy ER & Urgent Care
Legacy ER & Urgent Care (LER) is one of the nation’s first flexible healthcare models to offer both urgent care and emergency room treatment options under one roof. With board-certified doctors directly tending to patients, LER’s goal is to combine quality medical care, minimal wait times and higher cost-savings over hospital-based ERs and standard urgent care facilities. LER has two locations in Frisco and Allen, Texas that serve the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. For more information, visit http://www.legacyer.com.
Jeff Green, Michael A. Burns & Associates, +1 214-789-2267, [email protected]
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