The enterovirus has been around for a very long time, and in the United States alone, 10 to 15 million people are infected by it yearly. The virus is most common in the late summer and early fall, and most people experience typical cold symptoms. There is a strain of the virus called D68, and recently, it has been sending children to hospitals. 472 children have been sent to the hospital, and most of the children have asthma or other breathing problems. The virus was found in four children that have died. It might also be linked to a neurological illness that has arisen in Colorado, Boston, and Michigan. It caused limb weakness, cranial nerve dysfunction, and abnormalities in spinal gray matter. Some children have even developed partial paralysis in their lower limbs. This virus can be potentially dangerous to children with breathing issues, and the best way to prevent it is to wash your hands thoroughly, make sure to take your asthma medication, avoid touching your face with dirty hands, and disinfect commonly used items(http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/01/health/enterovirus-68-death/index.html?hpt=he_c2).
In my environment bundle, we have been talking about how children living in poverty have high odds of developing asthma because of the amount of pollutants they are exposed to. If children with asthma are more likely to be sent to the hospital because of D68, then it would be reasonable to assume children in poverty are in greater danger. Since most families in poverty do not have enough money to pay for hospital bills, they might wait to take their child in to receive medical attention, increasing the severity of their case. Those that do take their child in to receive medical attention will be stuck paying bills with money they do not have, and they will be forced to live in poverty for even longer. The longer a family lives in poverty, the more stress they experience, raising their odds of chronic illnesses. This virus can do quite a bit of damage to a family.
In my environment bundle, we have been talking about how children living in poverty have high odds of developing asthma because of the amount of pollutants they are exposed to. If children with asthma are more likely to be sent to the hospital because of D68, then it would be reasonable to assume children in poverty are in greater danger. Since most families in poverty do not have enough money to pay for hospital bills, they might wait to take their child in to receive medical attention, increasing the severity of their case. Those that do take their child in to receive medical attention will be stuck paying bills with money they do not have, and they will be forced to live in poverty for even longer. The longer a family lives in poverty, the more stress they experience, raising their odds of chronic illnesses. This virus can do quite a bit of damage to a family.