Dr Patrick Ip from the University of Hong Kong’s paediatrics and adolescent medicine department. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
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https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3213998/virus-outbreaks-hitting-hong-kong-schools-linked-dropping-mask-mandate-paediatrician-says Health & Environment
Virus outbreaks hitting Hong Kong schools linked to dropping of mask mandate, paediatrician says
- Uptick in respiratory syncytial virus and hand, foot and mouth disease cases in community a result of students dropping masks, according to Dr Patrick Ip
- He reminds parents to make sure children wash hands, get vaccinated, says social activities and exercise should be encouraged
Students, like the rest of Hong Kong, are no longer required to wear masks. Photo: Dickson Lee
Outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus and hand, foot and mouth disease have plagued Hong Kong schools following the removal of the city’s mask mandate, according to a local paediatrician.
Dr Patrick Ip Pak-keung, from the University of Hong Kong’s paediatrics and adolescent medicine department, on Saturday said children were facing “different challenges” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When we all take off our masks and have more social activities, which I encourage, viral infections become widespread at the same time,” he told a radio programme.
Hongkongers and tourists were able to go mask-free from earlier this month as the city finally lifted its last major pandemic restriction after almost three years.
Ip highlighted the outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus, a more lethal infection than Covid-19, seen in hospital wards and the community. The virus usually infects the very young, particularly babies born prematurely with lung disease or congenital heart defects.
“Some infants admitted to hospital are so breathless that they are not able to have milk and need to be on oxygen, which is dangerous,” he said, calling on parents to consult doctors if children experience persistent fever or vomiting.
There was a cluster of cases of the virus in a special care baby unit in Tuen Mun Hospital on Friday.
A hospital spokesman on Saturday said an 11-day-old boy who was infected remained in critical condition, while a five-month-old baby was still listed as serious. He said four other infected babies were in stable condition.
Fourteen other babies in the ward tested negative on Saturday. The spokesman said the hospital continued to investigate the mode of infection and was closely monitoring the health of all patients in the ward.
Ip also noted that many schools had been hit by outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease and enterovirus.
“Recently, some councils of school heads asked the Hong Kong Paediatric Society to hold webinars to teach parents how to take care of children with hand, foot and mouth disease,” he said
The paediatrician reminded parents to clean their children’s hands thoroughly as respiratory syncytial virus and the infection which causes hand, foot and mouth disease were mainly transmitted through saliva and mucus.
He said pupils with the disease should not go to school for a week as the virus was contagious during the first seven days of infection.
Ip also urged parents to ensure their children were full vaccinated against Covid-19 and had received flu jabs, which would help to avoid serious illness, particularly as some families were planning trips overseas during the Easter holiday in April.
He said only a quarter of children aged between six months and below three years had received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
More students with obesity had to go to hospital for regular check-ups as they tended to overuse electronic devices and were not doing enough physical exercise during the pandemic, he said.
Some students saw their classmates’ faces for the first time in person for nearly three years in March. Photo: Elson Li
His earlier research showed the amount of time primary school pupils spent glued to their gadgets tripled to seven hours a day during the pandemic. The study also warned poorer sleep quality and a lack of exercise were linked to the uptick in time spent on devices.
He called on parents to spend more time with their children hiking and exercising outdoors.
“Parents should not give the electronic devices to kids and let them play video games, and they should also not only just stay at home to do homework,” he said.