What is the first thing that leaps to your mind when you hear about a mystery virus that has afflicted children around the country just as the school year started? I know what it is. You know what it is. And many of the readers commenting on The Hill article know what it is. Even the writer, Susan Ferris, most likely knows what it is but does not mention the warning that dares not speak its name...at least in The Hill.
I am of course referring to the many health warnings about the illegal children who crossed the border and were dispersed around the country by the Obama administration. Although much of the left pooh-poohed the idea that those children could spread diseases to school kids, by an amazing coincidence a virus outbreak was discovered soon after the school term began. First let us look at the article that very noticeably fails to note the warnings about you-know-what:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that infections of Enterovirus D68 have been reported in more than half of all states with at least 175 confirmed cases. Many of the cases are children.
Two weeks ago, only 12 states, mostly in the Midwest, had confirmed cases of the virus. Within days, it was reported in New York and Connecticut, and has since reached California and Washington.
President Obama was briefed on the outbreak during his visit last week to the CDC in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for the agency said Wednesday, highlighting the growing concern.
While the severe respiratory illness isn’t generally life-threatening, this year’s strain has worried healthcare workers because of the high number of children hospitalized for care.
The illness typically includes intense cold symptoms, but it can also cause difficulty breathing, particularly among children and people with asthma.
The CDC expects that the true number of cases is greater than 175 because the testing is “complex and slower,” and can’t be done outside of the CDC and certain state health labs.
Anne Schuchat, head of infectious diseases for the CDC, warned on Sept. 8 that the agency was “just beginning to understand” the fast-spreading virus.
How about if we begin to understand the many warnings that such an outbreak could take place starting with this warning from ABC News in July:
The federal government is so overwhelmed by the current tide of migrants crossing the border it can’t provide basic medical screening to all of the children before transporting them – often by air – to longer-term holding facilities across the country, ABC News has learned.
The director of refugee health in the federal Health and Human Services Department “has identified a breakdown of the medical screening processes at the Nogales, Arizona, facility,” according to an internal Department of Defense memo reviewed by ABC News. The “breakdown” a systemic failure of the handoff of these children between CBP and HHS.
Inside the government, officials are sounding alarms, fearing that they and their teams who come in contact with the sick children face potential exposure to infectious diseases from chicken pox to influenza, including rare cases of H1N1, more commonly called swine flu.
...HHS told ABC News the children were supposed to be screened for sickness before leaving the Border Patrol screening centers.
“When the children arrive at U.S. border stations,” the ACF statement read, “they are screened for health problems and given medical treatment if needed.”
But, according to the memo ABC News reviewed, “Curi Kim [the HHS director of the Division of Refugee Health] has identified a breakdown of the medical screening processes at the Nogales, Arizona, facility. The [unaccompanied children] were initially screened and cleared upon entry into that facility with no fever or significant symptoms. They were not however re-screened and cleared for travel and placement at a temporary shelter.”
Many other news outlets and blogs also took note of the health danger posed by the illegal children being released into the general population. Yet despite these many warnings, The Hill displays a complete lack of curiosity about this matter. Perhaps they could ask the CDC where the Obama administration secretly dispersed the children before they could be properly screened.
