Chandigarh Schools Closed amid Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD) Found in Students

The viral & highly contagious infection ‘HFMD’ is seen in Pre-primary school-going children. Due to the spread of such infection, the schools in the City have switched to the Online mode of teaching for a few days to break the chain of infection.

There are more than Six students who have been found infected with such Hand, Foot, and Mouth diseases in two different private schools at Phase 7, Mohali.

Delhi Public School, Sector 40, has sent a message to all parents for informing them about the scenario. The message states “It has been brought to our notice by the parents that a few children from the pre-primary wing have been infected with Hand Foot Mouth Disease. Keeping the safety of our children in mind and as a precautionary measure we are shifting Classes-Nursery, Prep 1, and 1 to online mode for the next 2 days”.

Another case of HFMD is reported in a Kindergarten Student of St. Kabir School, Sector 26. The school will remain closed from class nursery to class 2 and teaching has been shifted to online mode.

Other schools including Bhavan Vidyalaya (Junior Wing), Sector 33, and St. John School have also been closed as a precautionary measure till further notice.

The Government of Chandigarh has also issued advisory guidelines to control the spread of such diseases.

It is advised that Patients with HFMD should be isolated and follow the usual isolation procedures for infection control. Also, parents should make proper hygiene including mandatory hand washing after contact with the patient. 

Moreover, Personal items such as beddings, spoons, cups, and utensils should not be shared and should be properly washed with detergent after use.

Usually, the disease is mild and gets over in a week, and treatment is directed according to the symptoms only.

Prevention is better than Cure !!

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FAQ:

What is HFMD?

HFMD stands for Hand, foot, and mouth disease. It is common infection in children.

Is hand foot syndrome the same as hand, foot, and mouth disease?
No, they are entirely different. Hand, foot and mouth disease causes a rash on the hands and feet due to exposure to a virus. It’s most common in young children. Hand-foot syndrome is a side effect of certain types of chemotherapy.

Is hand, foot, and mouth disease related to foot, and mouth disease?
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease isn’t related to foot-and-mouth disease (sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease), which is an infectious viral disease found in farm animals.

What is the fastest way to cure HFMD?
There’s no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Signs and symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease usually clear up in seven to 10 days. A topical oral anesthetic may help relieve the pain of mouth sores.

Is hand-foot-and-mouth virus highly contagious?
The illness is usually not serious, but it is very contagious. It spreads quickly at schools and day care centers. Hand, foot, and mouth disease spreads easily.

What is the last stage of hand, foot, and mouth?
The final stage of the illness is manifested by small, tender red spots that progress to blisters in the mouth, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and less frequently on the arms and legs, as well as the buttock and genital areas.

What is the quarantine period for hand, foot, and mouth?
Anyone with HFMD needs to feel well, be fever-free for at least 24 hours, and have all HFMD blisters completely healed for quarantine to end. For most people, this means avoiding contact with others for at least 7 days.