A respiratory illness has sickened hundreds of children across the country, including a dozen in New York.

Enterovirus 68 is a new strain of a respiratory illness that usually starts off like the common cold and can produce very severe symptoms.

The virus is so new that health officials don't even know if it can be fatal in an extreme case.

There have been 12 reported cases in New York so far, and officials say the number will likely grow.

Experts at the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla advise parents to instruct children to cough into their elbow if they have any kind of symptoms and to keep hands away from any mucus membranes, including the eyes and the nose.

They also say to teach children to wash their hands every time they use the bathroom.