Orlando Radio: WDBO Host Felled By Enterovirus D68 Virus

Joe Kelly

N/T WDBO 96.5 FM morning host Joe Kelly was recently hospitized with Enterovirus D68.  Even after a week long stay in an Orlando Hospital he was struggling with a hacking cough.  Kelly doesn't know how he contracted the peneumonia-like disases and probably never will.

Kelly reports after discovering he had a temp of 102.9 October 17th when he awoke for the start of hit usual morning routine.

In a station website posting, Kelly writes, "As a two-time cancer survivor, that kind of fever is not acceptable. Compounded with the fact that I lost my infection-fighting spleen in one of those cancer battles, I knew I had no choice but to get to the nearest emergency room."

Within moments of stumbling into the ER, he says he was peppered with questions about West Africa and whether or not I've been traveling in recent days. The ambient noises of the ER fell quiet as other staff and patients considered the possibility that Ebola had just walked in off the streets of Orlando.

While Ebola was quickly ruled out, the doctors knew there was something about his case that warranted additional care - high fever, high heart rate, high blood pressure, difficulty breathing.

The emergency docs ran a series of tests and screenings for a variety of respiratory infections, ruling out Flu A, Flu B, SARS, whooping cough, MERSA and others.

But, according to Kelly, the test did return a positive response to the Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) screen.

"It was all the thing until Ebola became the bigger thing," writes Kelly.

Now, with all the federal, state and local resources being set aside for Ebola care, there is little interest and few resources remaining for EV-D68.

According to Kelly, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is not even confirming local tests for EV-68D except in pediatric cases. "That is why I have an official 'unofficial' diagnosis- the hospital says I have it and there will be no additional tests to confirm it.

"Because EV-D68 is a virus, there is no treatment for it other than to ride it out and to treat the symptoms."

Slowly on the mend, Kelly says he's looking forward to getting his appetite back, enjoying food again, being able to hug his children and wife, and of course, getting back to work on News 96.5 FM's Morning News.