Campus Talk: Mumbai schools on alert over hand-foot-and-mouth disease, tomato flu

The disease

HFMD is a mild, yet highly contagious viral infection that is common in young children and has been around for many years. It causes sores on the mouth and rashes on hands and feet. Fever, sore throat, runny nose, mouth ulcers, loss of appetite etc are some of the symptoms of this disease. Once a child is infected, it can cause an outbreak in any preschool that he/she is attending due to its contagious nature. The tomato flu is a variant of the HFMD wherein the rashes on skin are cherry red in colour, leading to it being named so. While in HFMD, the child may or may not have fever, in cases of tomato flu, fever is present.

Worried parents

“Both my kids are unwell,” said Anant Joshi, father of 5-year-old Aarav. A resident of Malad, Aarav started complaining while eating and that is when the Joshis discovered blisters in his mouth. It was immediately diagnosed to be HFMD and the treatment started. “But since this is highly contagious, Aarav’s older brother Aaryan too has fallen ill. It is difficult to ensure distance between the siblings at home,” Joshi said.

The Joshis are just one among the many families in Mumbai who are battling this disease at home currently. According to Unimo – Universe of Moms, a community of mothers with over 5 lakh members, HFMD and tomato flu are the most-talked-about topics on their forums currently, especially in the Mumbai chapter of mothers. Neha Kare Kanabar, founder of Unimo, said, “The discussion starts with the dilemma thread on whether it is HFMD or tomato flu. Mothers are sharing pictures of their children to clear confusion and seeking advice from their fellow mothers on effective preventive measures and also cures.”

Schools geared up

With children in most cases picking up the infection from schools, Mumbai schools too have swung into action. Most schools are taking precautions on premises but are also creating awareness among parents to not send their wards to schools in case they find any symptoms such as fever, tongue/mouth ulcers or/and blisters on palms and soles.

Philomena Tella, centre head of EuroKids Pre-School, Mulund-Goregaon Link Road, said, “Our team has been told to keep a close watch on every child. We have implemented many norms such as having dedicated teams and trained staff to check temperature daily at the entrance of the premises. We also run a disinfection process of the high-touch surfaces at regular intervals.”

The school is also creating constant awareness among parents on what they need to teach their children in order to be safe when outside the home.

Kangaroo Kids International Pre-Schools too have shared dos and don’ts with parents. Their Malad centre head, Shaily Jalota, said, “We have asked them to immediately consult their doctor and keep their child at home till they fully recover. Our teachers also make sure that no child exchanges their stationery items or tiffin with each other for safety purposes. We also have a separate isolation room where children are taken in case they show any symptoms of fever or rashes.”

The Early Childhood Association (ECA), which is a nationwide community of schools and educationists from the sector of education focusing on early years of education, has been creating awareness about the disease for a long while now. Swati Popat Vats, president of the ECA, said, “Even as the HFMD has been prevalent in monsoons, the major difference now is that children are coming back into social contact after a gap of two years. And the fast spreading is causing anxiousness among parents, especially after a pandemic. Apart from taking basic care of sanitation, we are also reminding children every hour about washing hands. Schools with air-conditioner facilities are directed to be more careful with regular servicing.” The ECA has also prepared posters on awareness on both diseases, ways to identify them, and steps to take.

Doctors speak

Even as the latest health concern is causing tremendous worry in many households, according to paediatricians, there is no reason to worry. “It is a viral infection which has symptomatic treatment and it will take 7-10 days for symptoms to subside. There is no role of antibiotics in the treatment. Schools need to counsel parents that there is no need to be stressed. It is because of the nature of the disease which is highly transmissible that the number is increasing,” said Dr Bakul Parekh, paediatrician, adding that parents need to just be cautious and not send their wards to school if they witness any symptoms.

Dr Bhupendra Awasthi, head of department of paediatrics at Surya Hospital, also threw light on the difference between HFMD and tomato flu. “It is rare but similar to HFMD. Lesions are tomato red in colour which has given the name. It is a self-limiting infection having symptomatic treatment. It is not seen in adults due to better immunity. There is no reason to worry. Parents need to be cautious to identify the symptoms and keep the child away from others to avoid spreading,” Dr Awasthi said.