Rain triggers viral fever outbreak in city

Mangalore, June 28: As monsoon intensified, some children had to skip school because of fever and headache, say heads of educational institutions in the city. Children from primary section tended to be absent more than their seniors in high school.

Prescilla D'Souza, Head Mistress, St. Aloysius English Medium School, Urwa, said, on an average, in her school, two in a class of 65 were absent as they fell ill.

“The reason is viral fever and cold because of change in weather and the rainy season,” she said.

The teachers and parents asked the children to get notes they have missed during their absence from other schoolmates.

They are allowed to stay back in physical training period to catch up on the notes.

Ms. D'Souza said that during parent-teacher meetings in her school, teachers told parents not to send children to school if they were unwell. “Otherwise, the child sits shivering in the class,” she said. Rita Matilda Pinto, Head Mistress, St. Ann's High School, said on an average, five or six children out of 815 were absent due to health reasons.

On Monday, two students left for home as they were feeling unwell.

“Fever and eye pain has been frequent among students,” she said.

While a few have got chicken pox, three or four students got eye pain. If a student has fever, he or she must see a doctor. “If they come to school, it will spread,” she said.

If it is eye infection, the children are told to return only after five days as it can spread to other students before that.

Ida Barboza, Head Mistress, St. Agnes Girls High School, said that on Monday, of the 667 students, 30 were absent. Of them, 20 were unwell and the reason is usually fever. One or two have malaria. No student at the school had eye pain, she said.

Warm clothes

Dr. Meera A. Rao, children's specialist, said that parents must get children to dress up in warm clothes and protect them against rain as children tend to play in water. If a child has viral fever, chickenpox, or eye pain, he or she must not be sent to school as all three are infectious and can spread quickly to others.

Children aged one and above can be vaccinated against chickenpox. If they got chickenpox, they must not attend school for a week to 10 days.

In case of eye pain, children must not be sent to school. They should visit a doctor immediately as intensity could be reduced with medicines and eye drops, she said.