[quote=“TNT”][quote=“sandman”]I’d also like to point out that its far more than “just a cold” – the EV71 strain (which is the one responsible for the present outbreak) – is a major cause of aseptic meningitis.
It really puts the shits up me. I think I’ll buy a summer cabin in deepest Taidong County for the next few years![/quote]
Cabin in Taidong County aside, I dropped my daughter at kindergarten this morning. Think it may be a good idea to pick her up early and not take her tomorrow. Got a 1 week old baby at home, and at that age they have zero immunity[/quote]
I hear you. I’ve got a 3-year-old and a 1.5-year-old. Suddenly I’m grateful neither is at kindergarten. Gonna be hard to keep them away from the slides though. I wonder how safe the MRT is.
My 4yr old son caught this a month ago, he was the second child to catch it at his school. On the Saturday night he threw up after finishing his dinner. Then no other signs or symptoms until the Tuesday when he had a white toungue and small marks on his feet. He spent Wednesday in bed totally wiped out. The next 3 days he swung from his usual active self to lethargic and no appetite. I searched online at that time - the thing I’d like to add is that death is very rare, though this was of limited consolance at the time! There weren’t many cases being reported in Taiwan and those that were were mostly in the south. However Anhui Province in China had reported 500 odd cases in a single day that week. The following Monday the school closed for a week.
My suggestion to parents is to monitor the school and ask them to keep you informed if any cases are reported at the school and pull your child immediately.
For what it is worth, one of the other parents at the school when I called her said hospitals have to record the name of the school for any child admitted with this disease, 2 reported cases and the school must be closed down for a week.
Well it does happen, my daughters class was closed as of this morning for the next ten days as TWO kids had been confirmed with the infection. Whilst at the moent she appears to be unaffected, we are keen on hand washing etc, you never know.
What gets me though, is that most parents in the affected class have all organised through a local anjinban to have their kids looked after, so what really is the benefit of closing the class.
[quote=“Traveller”]
What gets me though, is that most parents in the affected class have all organised through a local anjinban to have their kids looked after, so what really is the benefit of closing the class.[/quote]
To be seen to be doing something constructive and proactive perhaps
[quote=“TNT”][quote=“Traveller”]
What gets me though, is that most parents in the affected class have all organised through a local anjinban to have their kids looked after, so what really is the benefit of closing the class.[/quote]
To be seen to be doing something constructive and proactive perhaps[/quote]
TNT, closing the class would be constructive if all affected parents are then required to keep their children from mixing with others, especially those from the same class, but in this instance something like 60% of the kids are all back together again albeit in a different building. As most of this is spread by the kids themselves not washing properly, all that has happened is that the buck has been passed and the school can turn round and say that they followed the rules.
[quote=“Traveller”][quote=“TNT”][quote=“Traveller”]
What gets me though, is that most parents in the affected class have all organised through a local anjinban to have their kids looked after, so what really is the benefit of closing the class.[/quote]
To be seen to be doing something constructive and proactive perhaps[/quote]
TNT, closing the class would be constructive if all affected parents are then required to keep their children from mixing with others, especially those from the same class, but in this instance something like 60% of the kids are all back together again albeit in a different building. As most of this is spread by the kids themselves not washing properly, all that has happened is that the buck has been passed and the school can turn round and say that they followed the rules.[/quote]
I agree. The rules say the school must be closed, not that the kids should be kept away from their classmates and other kids. Now these kids who have been thrown out of the closed school are going to another school. I wonder has the anjinban informed the students’ parents that kids from a “closed” school are coming over to hang out. I don’t think this is very smart
defintiely a bad thing to take a child from one infected school and put them in another. completely perverts the purpose of quarantine and epidemic control.
as a teacher, don’t accept new kids on a temporary basis at this time. inform the CDC if your school does, especially if the kid can tell you which school they cme from.
don’t let your kids socialize with kids from other infected schools. avoid things like the waerpark, the cinema, the zoo, McDougalls, etc. hire a nanny for a week if you need to and keep them at home. check their temperature as well, and inspect their mouths and eyelids for spots.
and Jack: No probably not, unless you find some way to stop them crapping too.
I am the poster who yesterday expressed concerns that there were possibly over a dozen infections at my school in Taipei and one dying. Yesterday the line from all levels of management to me was “We don’t know”. Today it has changed to “we have no infections currently at the school and we don’t have any children dying”. No broader explanation given. Those originally informing me of the infections have gone silent though others insist there were or are a large number of infections. There was a half hearted attempt to get teachers and students to wear those ridiculous paper masks, about 50% successful, but most pulled down to cover chin only - completely useless. I suspect a cover up going on. A class was closed last week but i suspect that the whole school should have been closed down under Health Regulations. Still no official information information going to teachers at the school to inform what’s happening.
This sounds a little flippant, I realise with hindsight. To expand…
I was teaching 2-3 year olds who barely spoke Chinese when we were in the middle of SARS. There were no infections at our school, thankfully, but there were in the public schools nearby and everyone was worried.
Our kindy had a ‘Handwashing Week’. We made songs and dances in Chinese and English and had very orchestrated and supervised handwashing trips. We got special kid friendly stuff so that going to wash your hands was very much the thing to do. Kids all got their own ‘kitbag’ with hand sanitisers, etc.
Slightly sinister, but we got them to rat eachother out for not following the ‘procedure’. Heard ‘Buuuuttercup; Oscar no soaaaaap!’ ‘Buttterrrcup, Melody eat paper towel!’ which was really annoying but neccessary.
We also used ‘disposable’ toys, such as homemade clay (each kid gets their own colour for the day), rather than germ harbouring Lego.
Ask to SEE what your child is doing. Demand that the toys are disinfected daily and ask to see it being done. Ask for a kitchen and bathroom tour.
We had one kid infected with it…she went to Hong Kong Disneyland and got it there (they think) She was kept out of school for a week and everything was washed. We can’t take the kids to the playground and we have special soap and I take my kids to wash their hands every hour. I’ve taught many kids that got sick at many schools…but this time it seems really bad.
I once worked at a school that had 4 kids infected, but they refused to close because we previously got 12 students from a Hess that had to close…and they didnt return afterwards…
kids usually complain about the sore in their mouth first…always check immediately (ask the kid to pull his/her lips back)
My lad got this in Oz many years ago. He was crook for awhile but ultimately fine. However, my cousin’s kid got this and literally lost an arm and a leg. The key is measuring your kids temperature and/or discomfort. If your kid has a temp of >38 degrees, you really, really need to know that. Always.
[quote=“freegaynhappy”]
I am the poster who yesterday expressed concerns that there were possibly over a dozen infections at my school in Taipei and one dying. Yesterday the line from all levels of management to me was “We don’t know”. Today it has changed to “we have no infections currently at the school and we don’t have any children dying”. No broader explanation given. Those originally informing me of the infections have gone silent though others insist there were or are a large number of infections. There was a half hearted attempt to get teachers and students to wear those ridiculous paper masks, about 50% successful, but most pulled down to cover chin only - completely useless. I suspect a cover up going on. A class was closed last week but i suspect that the whole school should have been closed down under Health Regulations. Still no official information information going to teachers at the school to inform what’s happening.[/quote]
If you think the school is up to some shenanigans you should contact the CDC or the Apple Daily. Why the sudden urgency and need for masks, if they don’t suspect any infections
my school here in china doesn’t have flush toilets. we have a huge outhouse. impossible to wash hands afterwards. there is no water. the only water in the place is in the broom closets and those are all locked.
[quote=“skeptic yank”]isn’t “pink eye” spread the same way?
my school here in China doesn’t have flush toilets. we have a huge outhouse. impossible to wash hands afterwards. there is no water. the only water in the place is in the broom closets and those are all locked.
hmmm…why do diseases like this spread?[/quote]
Then you need a load of hand sanitizer.
I can remember two occasions at two different schools where students informed me they they, or another student had enterovirus. The schools just do not care. No precautions were taken to keep from spreading anything and they certaintly weren’t going to close the school. One Lao Ban I asked about it even pointed out that the parents would just go and leave the kid at another school anyway.
Freegaynhappy, post the name and address of your school. I have the contact info for the CDC and will happily report them on your behalf. No need to put your job on the line. They WILL act on anonymous tipoffs.
My daughter has got it. It’s HFMD but it seems not the EV71 type
She has had a fever for the last two days, but shows no other symptoms. She is behaving normally. We are watching for blisters (she has one) and her temperature, and general activity
We shipped our 5 week old to my mother in law’s place yesterday. We are concerned still that our daughter may have passed it on.
I did some searching on the internet and found a report done on the 1998 outbreak, that breast milk can inhibit EV 71 and in 1998 fatal infections in kids under 3 months was zero (Don’t know though were all these <3 months kids breastfed). So I guess its reassuring IF it’s EV71 at play here.
So my wife is at home with our 3 year old and her sister is transporting the breast milk to MIL’s place
For me this (along with getting a frantic phone call from my wife yesterday afternoon) along with three doses of pneumonia, along with a constant cold; have really made me rethink staying here in Taiwan.
China (along with tainted products) exports such wonderful things as SARS, AVIAN FLU and EV71 :fume: . Location here means Taiwan is usually the first stop on the possible world tour