The number of suspected cases of chickenpox continues to increase in educational institutions in Piedras Negras. So far, the number is around 60 children with the viral disease and at least four schools with an outbreak.
Authorities from the Ministry of Health say that the disease is currently contained; however, they revealed that some medical offices detected cases that were not reported to the Health Jurisdiction 01.
In the context of educational institutions, both public and private, a filter will be established at the entrance, and if the minor has a fever or injuries, he or she will not be able to enter the school to avoid further infections, indicated Julio Garibaldi Zapatero, head of the Health Jurisdiction 01.
Once they are in school, if they detected a case, they should speak to the Ministry of Education and to us, the intention is that we have the same information, indicated the state official.
He specified that the diagnosis will be made by observing the lesions and by questioning them, although he acknowledged that they will not be able to see them all, they will request that a prescription or a note from an institutional health system be taken to corroborate the opinion.
Garibaldi Zapatero pointed out that epidemiological surveillance is very important, which is why the collaboration of all public and private institutions is required, because if they do not report to us as an authority, they do not give us the opportunity to take action.
We have identified clinics that have seen children and have given them a diagnosis of chickenpox on the prescription and have not notified us. I have already given the indication that Health Regulation should see who is visiting these consultants, because what they cause is losing control of a disease that can be treated in time.
After recalling that chickenpox is a highly contagious viral disease and that unfortunately the health sector does not have the vaccine, Garibaldi Zapatero stated that prevention and control is very simple, so he issued some recommendations.
He mainly recommended to parents that if they see a child with suspicious symptoms, that is, someone who has had the flu, a cold, a fever or general malaise and after a few days, lesions appear on the skin.
He explained that these lesions can initially be like little red spots and then become a small blister, which can appear in different parts of the body; establishing that this child has to be isolated because they are in a contagious state, even before the blisters appear.
The child should not go to school, because he can easily infect his classmates and family members. They should go to the doctor, because it could be another disease that looks like it and it is necessary to distinguish it.
In the case that the child has already gone to school and it was detected that he had chickenpox, the parents of the children who had contact with him should be notified to see if they have any symptoms, monitor them and if they start with lesions, isolate them; this is the way to control the disease.
How long is isolation recommended for these cases? Between 15 and 21 days, ideally 21 days, but 15 days if the lesions are already completely dry is correct, said the head of the Health Jurisdiction regarding the patient’s isolation period.
Source: rancherita
