Chickenpox outbreak in children at the change of seasons

(Baonghean) - In the province, the chickenpox situation is complicated, the number of cases is increasing rapidly. People with chickenpox, if not properly cared for and treated, can suffer from dangerous complications.

At the Department of Infectious Diseases, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, in just the past month, 118 cases have been treated. From February 3 to 10, 29 children have been infected with this disease. In addition to children, there have recently been many cases of adults being hospitalized.

As in the case of patient Le Thi Thanh (22 years old) and her child Le Tue Lam (4 months old) in Thai Quang hamlet, Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc), admitted to the hospital on February 5. Ms. Thanh recounted that before being admitted to the hospital, both mother and child had blisters on their face, back, and abdomen, so when they went to the doctor, they were told they had chickenpox and were asked to be hospitalized for treatment and monitoring of the disease. Currently, after 5 days of treatment, the patient still has a slight fever, blisters on her face and body, some have dried up and some are infected, have cloudy fluid, and white pus, and the patient is still being treated by the doctor.

Doctor Tran Thai Phong examines a patient with chickenpox at the Infectious Diseases Department, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Photo: Thu Hien

Similarly, patient Trinh Anh Khoi (4 years old) was hospitalized on February 7 due to chickenpox, with blisters all over his body. His mother recounted: “After a few days of Tet holiday, I saw that my child had blisters on his face and then spread all over his body, he had a high fever, ate and slept poorly, so I took him to the doctor and was diagnosed with chickenpox and admitted to the hospital. After 3 days of treatment, the patient's fever also subsided, the rash all over his body also reduced, however, the blisters were infected, had cloudy fluid, white pus, and are currently being treated by doctors.”

It is worth mentioning that these 2 patients have never been vaccinated against chickenpox, have never had the disease and have never been exposed to the source of infection... And most of the cases were treated promptly so the rate of complications is very low. According to Dr. CKI Nguyen Van Son - Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, out of more than 100 patients with chickenpox, only 2 cases had mild complications.

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Son: Chickenpox usually breaks out in the winter-spring season every year, lasting until the end of spring. Currently, chickenpox is in season, easily spreading widely in the community environment. Children aged 2-8 years old are at the highest risk of getting the disease; in addition, adults can still get infected if not fully prevented. For adults, especially pregnant women, chickenpox is more likely to have complications and is more severe than in children.

The disease is transmitted from person to person, through the respiratory tract due to direct contact. Secretions from the sick person can be transmitted indirectly to others through objects. When the disease starts, the patient shows signs of fatigue, headache, mild fever, runny nose, sore throat and red rashes appear on the skin starting in the head and eyes and then spreading to the whole body within 12-24 hours. People who have not had the disease or have not been vaccinated are susceptible to the disease.

A 14-day-old newborn with chickenpox is being treated at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Photo: Thu Hien

When sick, it is necessary to isolate and use separate personal items to avoid spreading to others. Children's nose and throat should be cleaned daily with saline solution. Patients should absolutely not scratch or break the chickenpox blisters. Use warm water and a soft towel to clean the body. Supplement vitamin C, drop nose drops twice a day for children. Wear soft, sweat-absorbent clothes and pay special attention to ensuring skin hygiene for children to avoid complications. And it is important to note that when cleaning, be gentle, avoid strong impact on chickenpox blisters causing rupture and infection. After wiping, use a soft towel to dry the body. Use Methylene blue solution to dab on the broken blisters. When seeing the patient with abnormal symptoms such as high fever, fatigue, drowsiness, convulsions... take them immediately to a medical facility for timely treatment.

The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get vaccinated and give a single dose of 0.5ml to children from 1 to 12 years old. Those from 13 years old and older should get 2 doses, 6 to 10 weeks apart. Therefore, adults and children who have not had the disease should get vaccinated to reduce the risk of infection. Women who intend to get pregnant 2-3 months before they get pregnant should get vaccinated to protect the health of both mother and baby. Especially for those who have been exposed to the source of infection in the first 3 days, they can still get vaccinated to prevent the risk of infection.

Children should not be taken to places with sources of disease or high risk of infection such as hospitals, crowded places such as bus stations, train stations. In case of having to go to the above places, wear a medical mask, clean with antibacterial soap immediately after. In addition, parents need to ensure that children eat enough nutrients, improve resistance, keep their bodies clean, keep their hands clean, and avoid sources of disease.

Thu Hien

(Center for Information and Education)