I'm also probably one of the more cranky followers of this virus in North Carolina.
It is of no surprise to anyone why: the Squirrel. And it actually moves me when my real life friends ask me about how she is doing and let me know if they (or a loved one) feels sick and what the symptoms are and are not.
I was even in the local paper, in which I thought the point was to rant that we're not getting information from the NC Department of Health And Human Services about the LOCATION of verified EV-D68 cases and the patronizing tone of the NC epidemiologist that we should just assume it's EV-D68 is out there and kids are getting it.
Assume? I should "assume"??? I'm sorry. I'm a scientist. I don't assume diddly squat. I want data. And if the data are that all NC's EV D68 cases are around Raleigh, why should I assume Mecklenburg County has them, too?
Especially since the DATA from our pediatrician is that all the respiratory illnesses she's seen this year have been very mild.
Especially since our school nurse says that most of the school absences are from stomach problems.
Especially since I've seen friends on FB--from Los Angeles--who've had to take their children into urgent care for breathing problems. Like the Mom of that child and the Dad of another (who has been traveling all over the country) have ended up with horrible, HORRIBLE colds with real respiratory and breathing issues.
Especially since EV-D68 lasts till late fall in *New Jersey* because only until then does it get cold enough to kill the virus!! FYI, Fall Temp NC > Fall Temp NJ.
It is clear from the CDC chart that NC does not have a lot of EV-D68 compared to other states.
And the daily increase of cases has drastically declined. At one point, there were between 50 and 75 new cases a day. Now there are about 20 new cases.
So here is my latest thinking on EV-D68 and Charlotte.
1) We might have escaped it. I am not seeing anyone on my FB newsfeed whose child has had a really, really bad cold or who as an adult they have had a bad respiratory cold.
2) We might have already had it!! EV-D68 has been around for a while. Bridget was hospitalized *last* summer for a horrible respiratory cold that took down the entire family which a junky cough. (I'm thinking of her second hospitalization where we all coughed up a lung or two in the house) No one tested anybody last summer for EV-D68. Maybe Charlotte has already had this bug and the city is now basically immune. (I'm hoping for this option)
3) It hasn't hit Charlotte yet. Boooooo. Let's hope that one isn't correct.
I still don't understand why the NC DHHS won't tell us where the verified cases have been. The HOSPITALS are revealing that they've treated kids with EV-D68. The reason NC DHHS won't is for HIPAA--they don't want to reveal patient information. W.T.Fudge.Monkeys?
How many children are in Forsyth County? If I tell you 1 child tested positive for EV-D68, do you know which child it was??? NC DHHS reports Lyme disease and cancer rates BY COUNTY. But they can't tell us which county contains an illness that is spread through the air and is very serious for children with asthma?
I do think (hope) we're on the back end of this illness. But I'm not fully convinced. Also, I just don't think this disease is as contagious as they are saying. They say the virus can live for days on surfaces. But when only 1 or 2 children in all of New York City get the diagnosis, how contagious can it actually be. (And yes, my understanding is that the diagnosis is only made for kids in intensive care, not for kids who have just been hospitalized. It's a very expensive test) I don't know why Colorado and St Louis had such bad breakouts, but I don't think it's burning through the rest of the country.
At least not through Charlotte.
At least not through our house.
Famous last words, eh?