2,450 students contracted conjunctivitis.

On September 12th, the Department of Education and Training of Dong Xoai City ( Binh Phuoc province) announced that it had recorded 2,450 students suffering from conjunctivitis since the beginning of the school year.

According to statistics from the Dong Xoai City Health Center, on September 8th, 11 out of 41 kindergartens and primary schools in the city had 260 children with conjunctivitis. By September 11th, this number had increased to 27 out of 41 schools, affecting 1,401 students.

Medical personnel are checking for and verifying cases of conjunctivitis at Tan Phu Primary School.

By 12 noon on September 12th, Dong Xoai City had recorded cases of conjunctivitis in 38 out of 41 schools, affecting 554 classes and 2,450 students. Of these, primary school students accounted for over 70% of the cases.

Notably, schools with a high number of students infected with conjunctivitis include: Tan Phu Primary School with 339 students; Tan Phu B Primary School with 220; and Tan Xuan B Primary School with 274 students.

Speaking to a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper, Ms. Vu Thi Luong, Principal of Tan Xuan B Primary School, said that since the beginning of the school year, the school has recorded 274 students with conjunctivitis. On September 12th, 173 students were absent from school due to conjunctivitis. The remaining students have recovered and returned to school as normal.

Many classrooms were empty because the students were staying home due to conjunctivitis.

"Immediately after the first cases of conjunctivitis were reported, the school coordinated with the Tan Xuan Ward Health Station and the Dong Xoai City Health Center to disinfect and clean the classrooms; proactively administered saline solution and eye drops to all students; and sent notifications to the class's Zalo group to parents, urging them to keep their children home from school if they showed signs of conjunctivitis. At school, if teachers noticed students showing signs of conjunctivitis, they proactively notified parents to pick them up to prevent the spread to other students in the school," Ms. Luong added.

Notably, it's not just students who are contracting conjunctivitis; many parents are now also getting it from their children.

When children show signs of conjunctivitis, school health staff will notify parents to pick up their children.

Given the rapidly increasing number of conjunctivitis cases and the risk of a major outbreak in schools and the community, on September 11th, the People's Committee of Dong Xoai City issued a directive requesting the City Health Center to proactively strengthen surveillance, detection, and early treatment of cases in the community; and to prepare and procure sufficient medicines, chemicals, and medical supplies for disease prevention and control.

The Department of Education and Training of Dong Xoai City has directed schools in the area to proactively detect cases early, isolate infected individuals promptly; wear masks, wash hands frequently with soap under clean running water; avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth; and not share personal items such as eye drops, towels, eyeglasses, and masks.

The students were reminded to wash their hands with soap under running water.

Dr. Ngo Quang Duong, Head of the Disease Control Department at the Dong Xoai City Health Center, said: "Given the situation of conjunctivitis in the area, the Health Center and the health stations in the communes and wards have inspected and verified the situation at schools to assess the situation. At the same time, we have directed and guided schools to immediately implement preventive measures. Initially, this involves providing supplies for schools to disinfect and sanitize; and closely monitoring the disease's progression, promptly advising on effective prevention measures to control the spread of the disease and prevent it from becoming an epidemic."

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/tpdong-xoai-2450-hoc-sinh-bi-dau-mat-do-185230912132412172.htm