WHEN my 5-year-old son was younger and being toilet trained, I lost track how many times we told him to wash his hands after using the toilet.
There were countless reminders issued at the top of our lungs whenever his little feet made a mad dash to the toilet and the same reminder is still being given out today.
Why the need to wash one’s hands? For those who view hand washing as cumbersome, think about this: studies have shown that there can be up to 1,000 bacteria on per sq cm of your hand.
Yes, I am shocked too.
Stressing on the importance of personal hygiene from young should be a way of life.
During one of the work assignments abroad, we saw this woman who was dead gorgeous. She had it all to make many men turn their heads and many women envied her, I am certain.
But, our perception changed when we saw that she did not wash her hands after a visit to the loo. Her beauty dropped many notches in our eyes. In other words, a pretty face is not enough where personal hygiene is concerned.
As Malaysia is grappling with the rising number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases with the latest figures at about 39,000 as of July 30, the need for good personal hygiene is ever more crucial.
Selangor recorded the highest number of HFMD cases at 11,669, Sarawak (4,551), Perak (3,002), Penang (2,816), Johor (2,475), Sabah (2,173), Kelantan (1,666), Negri Sembilan (1,636), Malacca (1,546), Kedah (1,375), Pahang (726), Terengganu (589), Labuan (365) and Perlis (247).
For the uninitiated, some may ask what is HFMD. You can ask your physician or just “google” it up.
The medical experts are saying HFMD is caused by viruses, especially the Coxsackie A16 and the Enterovirus 71 (E71), which are transmitted through direct contact with the mucous, saliva, blisters and stool of the infected.
HFMD can make any mother turn neurotic, constantly checking on their children for symptoms of the disease.
Here is a checklist of HFMD symptoms: fever, sore throat, general feeling of being unwell and painful red, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks.
A red rash, without itching but sometimes with blistering, on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks is another symptom to look out for.
If your baby or toddler displays irritability and loss of appetite, a visit to the doctor will be wise.
More and more parents are limiting their children’s exposure in public places in view of the HFMD outbreak.
Many parents, myself included, make sure we have hand sanitisers ready as we manage our children’s hygiene in public.
And my son’s kindergarten has placed a bottle of hand sanitiser at the entrance of the premises, making it compulsory for all children to clean their hands before entering the premises.
So far, it seems to work as no children has fallen sick.
Health experts, including the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), say good hygiene is crucial to prevent the spread of the disease.
Nearly all who have HFMD will recover in seven to 10 days, but there are rare cases where the infected persons develop viral meningitis and, in some isolated cases, patients develop polio-like paralysis, or encephalitis, which can be fatal.
Apparently, Malaysia is not alone in dealing with an uptick in HFMD cases. Based on the World Health Organisation’s Western Pacific Region Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Surveillance Summary, several countries have HFMD cases too.
From May 1 to 31, a total of 387,135 cases of HFMD and five deaths were reported in China.
“This is an 83.3 per cent increase from the same period in 2017, but consistent with seasonal trends, as seen from 2013 to 2017,” said the report.
For Japan, it said, the number of HFMD cases reported in week 26 of this year was 5,053.
“From Jan 1 to June 30, there were 36,032 HFMD cases reported, consistent with seasonal trends of the same period observed between 2013 and 2017.”
A total of 22,746 cases have been reported in Singapore since the start of this year. The number of reported cases this year is relatively higher compared to the previous five years.
Until the disease is reined in, better start washing these hands people. Better be safe than sorry.
Azura Abas is a journalist with the NST. She can be reached via azuraa@nstp.com.my