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Clinicians and parents should be alert this fall for symptoms of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which can cause paralysis and respiratory failure in children. The CDC anticipates an outbreak from August through November of this year. The past three outbreaks have occurred every other year, with the last one in 2018.
“We are concerned that in the midst of a COVID pandemic that cases might not be recognized,” said Dr. Thomas Clark, the CDC's Deputy Director of the Division of Viral Diseases. He also said that parents might be hesitant to seek prompt care for AFM symptoms during the pandemic. He stressed that AFM is a medical emergency, and children with signs of sudden limb weakness need to be seen immediately.
In the current report of cases fro…