Dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease increase
According to the Vinh Long Provincial Center for Disease Control, by mid-August, the whole province recorded over 4,000 dengue fever cases, an increase of 1.33 times compared to the same period. Notably, the locality recorded more than 2,000 dengue fever outbreaks, an increase of 1.5 times.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is also developing complicatedly with more than 3,000 cases. The number of hand, foot and mouth cases increased 2.1 times compared to the same period, appearing in 124/124 communes and wards with 130 outbreaks. This is a noteworthy risk when students return to school.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, BS.CK2 Tran Chi Cong - Head of Pediatrics Department, Vinh Long General Hospital, said that a focused learning environment creates conditions for pathogens to spread quickly.
According to BS.CK2 Tran Chi Cong, children can get dengue fever many times, while there is no specific medicine for the disease. Therefore, parents should not be subjective about the initial signs. "A person can get dengue fever up to 4 times", BS.CK2 Tran Chi Cong emphasized, and at the same time recommended that families kill mosquitoes, remove mosquito breeding sites and prevent mosquito bites.
For preschool children, hand, foot and mouth disease is a constant concern because children have a habit of putting hands and toys in their mouths. Classroom hygiene needs to be carried out regularly. BS.CK2 Tran Chi Cong recommends that parents train children to wash their hands with soap, and at the same time clean toys, tables and chairs at home and in the classroom; when sick, children must stay home from school.
Family and school jointly proactively prevent disease
Aware of the risk of disease spreading in a collective environment, many parents proactively equip their children with hygiene skills right before and during the first days of school, and at the same time exchange with teachers.
Ms. Tran Huyen Ngoc, residing in Long Chau ward, said that the family pays special attention to hand, foot and mouth when their children start going to kindergarten. She often reminds children to wash their hands, eat enough nutrients and drink water. "Exchange with teachers to grasp the hygiene situation of the classroom, monitor their children's health. If there are children sick in the class, the family should pay attention to strange signs to take their children to the doctor," Ms. Ngoc shared.
BS.CK1 Tran Thi Tuyet Mai - Head of Nutrition Department, Vinh Long General Hospital, recommends parents to comprehensively care for children, ensure reasonable nutrition, eat cooked food and drink cleanly, and maintain personal hygiene.
According to BS.CK1 Tran Thi Tuyet Mai, children need to be instructed to wash their hands, wear masks properly when going to public places and keep the living environment ventilated. Families also need to monitor their health daily. For hand, foot and mouth disease, there is currently no vaccine to prevent the disease, so the hygiene of toys, school supplies and surfaces that are frequently exposed needs to be emphasized. Teachers must also detect abnormalities in children early.
BS.CK1 Tran Thi Tuyet Mai emphasized that when children have a fever, cough, runny nose or have suspicious symptoms, teachers need to notify parents to take their children to the doctor. Early coordination helps limit the spread of the disease in schools.
