The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, assured that recent reports about some students at Alsun International School in Saqqara, Giza contracting Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is nothing to worry about.
In a phone interview with Extra News on Tuesday, Abdel-Ghaffar stressed that the disease is not serious and is a common and mild virus that resolves spontaneously without the need for any intensive medical intervention.
The Ministry of Health and Population, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, does not recommend closing any schools or classes due to these cases.
Abdel-Ghaffar explained that HFMD is not a single virus, rather a symptom caused by a group of common intestinal viruses which are particularly common among children under the age of five.
“These viruses are not respiratory, but are transmitted through bodily fluids or feces, and usually go away on their own within a few days.”
Treatment options
Abdel-Ghaffar explained that treatment for the disease is limited to managing symptoms only, such as fever, without the need for antibiotics.
He also advised that the infected child remain at home until the symptoms, especially fever, have completely subsided for at least 24 hours without taking any antipyretics.
The characteristic symptoms of the disease include a high temperature and the appearance of ulcers on the hands, feet, and around the mouth, distinguishing it from common colds that affect the respiratory system.
Regarding concerns about new cases or mutations of the coronavirus or other seasonal viruses, Abdel-Ghaffar said, “Respiratory viruses naturally mutate every year, which is why influenza vaccines are developed annually.”
“There are no current global recommendations to treat the coronavirus differently from other seasonal viruses, since the World Health Organization declared the end of the coronavirus pandemic in May 2023.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
