1. Dee A. Holleran Writing Sample
CLIENT: Hometown Urgent Care
MEDIA: Blog
TITLE: What is EV-D68, or Enterovirus?
EV-D68 looks like a cold, with sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, and sometimes fever.
According to media reports, EV-D68 has been diagnosed in both Columbus and Dayton. The
Saginaw News reports the same in Michigan. This non-polio enterovirus has been the subject of
dozens of news reports, and is getting a lot of attention from parents and school officials. Many of
these news reports show kids in hospital beds with oxygen masks – images that would be frightening
to any parent.
The medical professionals at Hometown Urgent Care want to help you know more about the EV-
D68 virus, and how you can help your family avoid it.
There are more than 100 types of enteroviruses causing about 10 to 15 million infections in the
United States each year, according to the CDC. They are carried in the intestinal tract and can spread
to the central nervous system or other parts of the body. Polio and hepatitis are two well-known
members of the enterovirus family – fortunately, EV-D68 is a non-polio strain.
Enteroviruses usually begin to occur in the later summer and fall, with symptoms like those of an
intense cold. Kids will experience a cough, sniffles, sneezing, congestion, and maybe even a low-
grade fever. Rest and over the counter medications to manage the symptoms will usually help
patients through until the virus runs its course.
EV-D68 was identified in the early 1960’s. Fewer than 100 cases have been diagnosed in the past 50
years, but that could be because the symptoms can be so similar to other viruses like the common
cold or flu, and because diagnosis requires specific lab tests on discharge from a person’s nose and
throat. Like most doctors and many hospitals, Hometown Urgent Care does not have the capability
to run the specific tests required to specify that a cold or respiratory virus is EV D68, but the
medical professionals at Hometown Urgent Care can help you and your family manage the
symptoms of the virus.
EV-D68 symptoms look like a common cold. Patients may experience fever, runny nose, sneezing,
cough, and body and muscle ache. More severe symptoms may include wheezing and difficulty
breathing, which may be so severe that it requires hospitalization. Children with asthma tend to be
hit extra hard with this virus, so keep a close eye on a child with asthma that begins to show signs of
a cold or respiratory virus.
Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for people with respiratory illness caused by EV-D68.
Antibiotics won’t prevent it, and there are no effective antiviral medications available. If your child
or teen has been suffering from symptoms that seem like a cold and begins to have trouble

2. breathing, you should come into Hometown Urgent Care right away. Fortunately, our extended
hours and no-appointment-necessary service makes that easier!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tried-and-true, common sense habits
like hand washing and not exposing oneself to germs are the best way to minimize your family’s risk
of contracting EV-D68. Recent information from the CDC warns parents that alcohol-based hand
sanitizers are not effective against this virus, so be sure to wash hands with soap and water for at
least 20 seconds to kill all virus germs.

3. Dee A. Holleran Writing Sample
CLIENT: Hometown Urgent Care
MEDIA: Blog
TITLE: Safe Practices Now Mean Safe Games Later
According to a study by SafeKids, more than 60% of sports injuries in young athletes take place
during practice. But nearly half of parents admit that they don’t insist on safety practices being
carried out in non-game settings. An injury during practice can side-line your young athlete for the
entire season, so make sure that you follow Hometown’s Seven Steps to Sports Safety every time
they take the field!
1. Start every season with a pre-participation physical evaluation or sports physical. Hometown
offers sports physicals at everyone of our 20 convenient locations – no appointment needed!
2. Make sure the coach has emergency contact information for caregivers and doctors, as well as any
allergy or other medical information that might require special attention.
3. Make sure your child wears ALL safety equipment at EVERY practice. It’s better for your kid to
miss one practice because they forgot their mouthguard than to miss the whole season with a
broken jaw.
4. Make sure that your young athlete stretches and warms up before every practice and game to
prevent acute injuries such as hamstring strains and overuse injuries by allowing the body to prepare
steadily and safely.
5. Make sure your child is well hydrated, drinking water before, during and after every practice. Make
sure your child knows the signs of dehydration as well, including:
 Dry or sticky mouth
 Thirst
 Headache
 Dizziness
 Cramps
 Excessive fatigue
 Confusion
6. More than 50% of youth sports injuries are the result of overuse. To prevent injuries like stress
fractures and tendonitis, watch for these signs of over, and encourage your young athlete not to
suffer through them.
 Tingling, numbness, or pain in the affected area
 Stiffness or soreness in the neck or back
 Feelings of weakness or fatigue in the hands or arms
 Popping or clicking sensation in the affected joints

4. 7. Know the signs of concussion, and teach your child what it “feels like” to be on the receiving end
of a head injury. As a parent, you should look for:
 Confusion or seeming “dazed”
 Inability to understand instructions
 Clumsy movements
 Slow or slurred speech
 Mood or personality changes
 Loss of short-term memory, especially of events before or after the injury.
Teach your child to be aware of the symptoms she or he might feel as well, including:
 Headache or “pressure” in head
 Nausea or vomiting
 Balance problems or dizziness
 Double or blurry vision
 Sensitivity to light and/or noise
 Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy
 Concentration or memory problems or confusion
 Just not “feeling right” or “feeling down”
Hometown Urgent Care is your Safe Sports Partner!
We’re ready for every sports-related injuries, from scrapes to fractures – and with extended hours
and convent locations, we’re here when you need us! Find your closest Hometown clinic at
www.hometownurgentcare.com.