In recent weeks, the number of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (TCM) has been on a downward trend. However, it is worrisome that the upcoming return of students to school coincides with the annual epidemic cycle, so it is easy to break out into an epidemic. Meanwhile, the virus strain EV71 that causes TCM circulating in the province has a strong momentum, easily causing severe cases and death.
Doctor taking care of children with hand, foot and mouth disease at Provincial General Hospital
Number of current cases downtrend
Since the beginning of the year, the whole province has recorded 2.757 cases of TCM, an increase of 55% over the same period in 2022. The number of cases was recorded in some localities with many industrial zones and high population density, such as: Ho Chi Minh City. Thuan An has 658 cases, Tan Uyen city 562 cases, Thu Dau Mot city 509 cases, Di An city 496 cases, Ben Cat town 257 cases, Bac Tan Uyen district 109 cases… The province recorded 2 deaths in the ward. Thuan Giao and An Thanh ward, Thuan An city. In recent weeks, the number of cases has been on a downward trend when week 28 had 385 cases, week 29 had 266 cases and week 30 had 210 cases. In the near future, students will return to school, coinciding with the annual epidemic cycle, so it is necessary to strengthen control to prevent the spread of disease.
Talking to PV, Dr. Tran Van Chung, Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, said: "Currently, the epidemic tends to decrease, but there is still a high risk of maintaining cases and deaths due to the disease. easily spread. There is no vaccine to prevent the disease and no specific treatment. The cause of TCM epidemic circulating in the province is that the prevention stage has not been paid much attention by the family. During the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, the reduction of HFMD is due to the fact that we regularly disinfect our hands, wash our hands with soap, and maintain good hygiene for children, so prevention is effective.
In fact, the effectiveness of TCM epidemic prevention and control varies between localities. There are localities that do well in propaganda work, but there are also localities that have not followed each household closely. Due to the complex residential area, densely populated, concentrated in many hostels and industrial zones, it is difficult to access. Moreover, the province's preventive health system is not enough in number to prevent and control the epidemic, so it is necessary for the combination of many forces, departments, branches and mass organizations in localities in mobilizing people for sanitation. prevention.
Need drastic cooperation
Forecasting the epidemic situation in the near future, Dr. Tran Van Chung, said that the TCM epidemic is still complicated. The state of infection is still maintained within the province, plus migrants from other provinces are pouring in, especially at the time when students start going back to school. The provincial Center for Disease Control hopes that localities need to focus on disease prevention and control more aggressively in places with high number of cases and deaths. Specifically, local officials coordinate innkeepers to each inn, each room reminding people to clean daily and weekly. Hostels where families with parents and adults go to work during the day, and neighborhood officials have to come to hostels at night to approach, mobilize, propagate and educate about health, and improve disease prevention measures. .
The health sector actively coordinates with the education and training sector to organize communication at schools, especially at kindergartens, kindergartens and preschools about HFMD. Educational institutions must ensure that they have enough facilities to regularly, properly and conveniently wash hands with soap or hand sanitizer. Kindergartens and kindergartens clean classrooms, clean the environment, provide enough drinking water, clean water, and ensure food safety at collective kitchens.
The school regularly sanitizes tables, chairs, and surfaces and toys daily with soap or common detergents. Teachers cooperate with families to detect cases of disease at educational institutions early, immediately notify the School Board of Directors and local health authorities to handle the outbreak in time (if any). Kindergartens need to regularly train preschool teachers to improve hygiene and disease prevention knowledge.
H.LINH - D. HUONG - H.M
