June is Dengue Awareness Month. Parents and families are encouraged to take more proactive efforts in
ensuring our children’s protection against the potentially deadly infection. The Philippines has historically been one of the countries with the highest number of dengue cases in the world. Local cases reached its peak in 2019, when the epidemic affected thousands, with children ages five to nine years old as the most impacted group among dengue cases and confirmed deaths.
Here’s some tips to safeguard your families from dengue fever.
- Know the symptoms.
According to the Center of Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the most common symptoms of dengue include: nausea or vomiting, rashes, aches and pains in the muscles, joints and eye areas; and that these last for 2 to 7 days, with most people recovering within a week. The sooner these symptoms are recognized and accounted for, the sooner you can seek help from a healthcare provider, and therefore better chances of recovery. - Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.
Simply covering our bare skin is critical to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. Socks at night is particularly effective for those whose homes are not well screened. - Keep home well-screened.
Simply placing a mesh screen for your house’s entry points can prevent mosquitoes from flying in. At night, hanging a mosquito net over sleeping chambers may also be helpful. - Use Citronella-infused repellent creams and other products.
Look for ingredients like Citronella Oil in your insect repellent products to stay protected against mosquitoes. These can come in the form of body lotions or sprays, just make sure all exposed skin is amply covered. Other helpful natural insect repellent alternatives include Lemon Eucalyptus Oils and Peppermint Oils. These types of natural products are also safe for pregnant and lactating women, as stated by the Stanford Children’s Health article on The Mom’s Guide to Mosquitoes. - Use an electric fan for proper and consistent airflow.
It will be harder for mosquitoes to go near enough to bite you when there is presence of strong winds. Instead of leaving doors and windows open for airflow, using an electric fan is a good option for keeping mosquitoes away.
- Prevent mosquito breeding sites.
Watch out for any water source in your homes. Whether it be hardened soil or water residue in flower pot plates, drums or water basins, septic tanks, roof gutters, etc.! Mosquitoes lay eggs in water, and any standing water are at risk of larvae infestation. These should be tipped over or removed immediately. For standing water that cannot be drained, the CDC recommends putting larvicides to kill breeding sites before larvae can grow into adult mosquitoes.
So far, the World Health Organization has reported significantly lower cases as of March 2021 versus the same period last year. These may be attributable to lesser outdoor activity. Regardless, as the rainy season approaches, let us all be extra cautious in upkeeping the whole family’s welfare and protection.