Online classes, advisories: As foot & mouth disease cases surface in Delhi, schools cautious

Even as localised action is visible in some schools in the Capital, many are yet to report a major surge in HFMD cases.

On Wednesday, R S Junior Modern School at Humayun Road – where two students of Class 1 were recently diagnosed with HFMD and quarantined— issued a formal circular to parents, saying classes for the particular section will be held virtually on Thursday and Friday. The classrooms are being sanitised and washroom staff has been changed, the school assured.

“We would like to bring to your attention that cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) are still being reported in the school. While we are taking all necessary precautions in school, we seek your support in helping us control its spread,” the circular read. It also asked parents to monitor their children for symptoms such as fever, red rashes on hands and feet, sore throat, or irritability, and to seek medical attention if needed. “Do not send your child to school and inform the school immediately,” the circular warned.

A parent of a Class 1 girl at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya (SPV), Lodhi Road, said his daughter was diagnosed with HFMD mid-July after she developed painful ulcers in her mouth and had a fever. “My daughter recovered but she missed classes. There is no formal advisory or awareness in schools on this,” he said. “Our main concern is that some schools are closed, some are not.”

He had initially ignored a message circulated in July in a parents Whatsapp group, which read: “Just a quick heads-up…there have been a few cases of HFMD going around recently. It spreads pretty easily among kids, especially in close contact settings like school or playdates.” It was only after his daughter fell ill that he realised she had also contracted the disease.

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood told The Indian Express, “These are stray incidents that often occur during the monsoon season. Only two students in one class were affected, and the school shifted that class online as a precaution. The Health department has not issued any specific advisory. If we start treating such isolated cases as an outbreak, it will create unnecessary panic.” He also said that any consolidated reports of such cases among government schools are presently unavailable.

Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public School in Dwarka, and head of the CBSE Sahodaya Schools cluster in Southwest Delhi, said that no such cases have been reported so far from the 50 schools in the Dwarka region, nor any reports from major schools. However, she warned that monsoon illnesses are always a concern during this time of the year. The school has issued several advisories — with the latest one on HFMD, which warns: “Don’t ignore early signs like rashes, blisters, or fever.”

“We have issued a monsoon advisory and another one on dengue. Apart from the HFMD advisory asking parents to not send their children in case of symptoms.. We’ve conducted fumigation and asked students to wear waterproof and non-slippery footwear, carry raincoats, and drink safe water,” Acharya said.

Dr Vibhu Kawatra, paediatric pulmonologist, and allergy specialist said he is getting 5–6 cases of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease every day for the last one week.

He said breaking the cycle is the only way out to stop the virus spreading further. “If it happens to one child it spreads because it is contagious,” said Dr Kawatra, who works in a hospital in Malviya Nagar.

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