Hand, foot and mouth disease is in at least 80 schools nationwide: the details of the highly contagious virus

The temporary suspension of face-to-face classes in four classrooms at the school Meliton Carvajalin Lince, has set off alerts in the educational community of Lima. The measure, taken by the Regional Directorate of Education of Lima, was adopted after confirming cases of hand, foot and mouth disease – associated with the Coxsackie virus – in primary and secondary school students.

According to information provided by the Regional Director of Education of Metropolitan Lima, Marcos Tupayachion this campus infections have been identified in two primary and two secondary sections. “They are focused cases. The indication is to isolate only the affected classrooms, not to close the entire school“, he explained during a press conference on May 5.

The provision implies that the schoolchildren of these sections continue their activities of virtual way for a week, while cleaning and disinfection tasks are carried out in the facilities.

Expanding bud

The case of Melitón Carvajal is not isolated. The Ministry of Health reported that, so far this year, there have been approximately 80 clusters of cases nationwidemainly in school environments.

César Munaycodirector of the National Center for Epidemiology, explained that these clusters correspond to about 80 schools in different regions. “It is a disease that occurs every year, most frequently between March and June. What we are seeing now is his usual behavior”, he noted.

In Lima, the reports are concentrated both in the capital and in nearby provinces such as Huaura and Badwhile regions such as Lambayeque, Cusco, Huancavelica and Junín are also among the most affected.

It should be remembered that the advance of this disease is not limited to Lima. In recent days, an outbreak of the virus has been reported in various Chiclayo schoolswhere—according to the Local Educational Management Unit (UGEL)— As of Saturday, May 2, a total of 93 cases had been recorded.

Mild, but highly contagious disease

Despite the concern generated among parents, health authorities emphasize that it is a disease usually mild and self-limited. “It lasts between seven and ten days, and leaves no after-effects, but it is very contagious.“said Munayco.

The virus is transmitted through direct contact with secretions, contaminated surfaces or even through the respiratory route. Therefore, schools are spaces prone to spread.

Among the most common symptoms that may occur in minors are: fever, general malaise, sore throat and the appearance of blisters on the hands, feet and mouthwhich can make it difficult for minors to feed themselves and carry out their usual activities.

What is Coxsackie virus and how does it spread?

He virus Coxsackie is the main cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease, a common viral infection that primarily affects children under 10 years old. It is a virus that usually occurs seasonally, especially between the summer months and the beginning of winter, coinciding with the school period.

Its transmission is highly contagious and occurs mainly through direct contact with respiratory secretions, saliva, feces or the fluid from blisters that appear on the skin.

It can also spread through contaminated surfaces, such as toys, school supplies, tables or door handles, which facilitates its rapid spread in environments such as schools and daycares.

Therefore, Frequent hand washing and disinfection of spaces are key measures to cut the chain of contagion.

Parents ask for greater prevention and communication

Outside the Melitón Carvajal school, some parents expressed their concern, mainly due to the delay in communicating the cases.

“We found out last now. Even my daughter was in a classroom where there was a case and there was no prior disinfection“said Erick Neyra, father of the family. Likewise, Esperanza Cruz questioned that preventive measures were not adopted from the first infection.

Other parents, like Marianela—who already had previous experience with the disease in her son—considered that It is not a serious conditionalthough they agreed on the importance of maintaining hygiene measures. “It is a virus that lasts about seven days. The main thing is cleanliness and not sending the child to school during that time”, he commented.

In the case of Milagros, mother of a 6-year-old girl, she commented that, as a preventive measure, she is sending her youngest daughter with a small bottle of alcohol gel so that she can disinfect her hands from time to time.

Key measures to avoid further infections

Both the Ministry of Health and Education have reiterated that the total closure of schools is not recommended, but rather the targeted isolation of affected classrooms.

Among the main measures are frequent hand washing, disinfection of surfaces, ventilation of environments and monitoring of symptoms in schoolchildren. In addition, it has been decided to reinforce hygiene campaigns in educational institutions.

“We must resume habits that we learned during the pandemic, such as constant hand washing”Tupayachi emphasized.

The authorities also recommended that children with fever or injuries do not attend classes and remain at home until they recover, in order to avoid new outbreaks in Lima schools.

For her part, Congresswoman Rosselli Amuruz formally requested that the head of the Ministry of Health of Peru (Minsa) be summoned to the Congressional Health Commission, given the increase in cases of the Coxsackie virus in schools in the country.

The parliamentarian asked that the minister inform me about the prevention, surveillance and control actions that the sector has been implementing to protect the health of schoolchildren.w