Pink eye epidemic is on the rise

Pink eye is transmitted through direct or indirect contact with eye secretions through infected hands or sharing contaminated utensils and objects. Pink eye often occurs in areas with flooding, water pollution, and lack of drinking water.

As of noon on September 18, in Tay Ninh province, there were over 140 officials, teachers and more than 6,200 children, pupils and students at all levels suffering from pink eye (conjunctivitis). The provincial Department of Health and the Department of Education and Training have just issued an official dispatch requesting heads of units and schools in the area to immediately implement urgent measures to prevent and control this disease.

The pink eye situation in Dak Lak province is increasing rapidly and becoming extremely complicated. On September 16 alone, Dak Lak recorded 2,947 new cases; of which 2,781 cases were in schools (accounting for 94.3%).

In Ben Tre, pink eye is on the rise. According to statistics from the provincial Center for Disease Control, from September 11 to 16, the province recorded 1,870 cases of pink eye at 146 educational institutions in 9 districts and cities in the area. Districts with many cases are Giong Trom (527 cases), Chau Thanh (321 cases), Ba Tri (295 cases), Thanh Phu (225 cases)...

At Da Nang Eye Hospital, from September 1-11, there were 22,444 cases of pink eye coming to the hospital for examination and treatment; of which 11,572 were children, accounting for 51.5%. The number of children seeking outpatient care increased dramatically and over 80% were diagnosed with pink eye.

According to preliminary statistics from the Gia Lai Provincial Center for Disease Control, the province currently has about 3,000 people with pink eye, mainly concentrated in Pleiku city. The peak of the epidemic began in early September and increased after the new school year started…

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, pink eye is an eye infection, often caused by bacteria or viruses or by an allergic reaction, with the characteristic symptom being red eyes.

The disease usually starts suddenly, first in one eye and then spreads to the other eye. Pink eye is very easy to catch, spreads easily in the community and causes epidemics. To date, there is no vaccine to prevent the disease, no specific treatment, and people who have had pink eye can still be infected again just a few months after recovering from the disease.

Although pink eye is an acute disease with dramatic symptoms and is easily transmitted, it is usually benign and leaves few sequelae. However, the disease often greatly affects daily life, study and work. In many cases, the disease lasts for a long time, causing complications that affect vision later. Therefore, people need to be aware of disease prevention and need to be treated promptly when they get sick.

To proactively prevent and control pink eye, the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health recommends that people take the following 5 measures:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and clean water; do not rub your eyes, nose, or mouth; do not share personal items such as eye drops, towels, glasses, masks, etc.

Clean eyes, nose, and throat daily with saline solution and regular eye and nose drops.

Use soap or common disinfectants to disinfect the patient's belongings and utensils.

Limit contact with people who are sick or suspected of having pink eye.

Patients or people suspected of having pink eye should limit contact with others and go to a medical facility for examination, consultation and timely treatment. Do not self-treat without instructions from medical staff.