By Brendan Kelly, Staff Writer
Every year there seems to be a disease that sweeps across the halls of Penn-Trafford High School. Usually it is something that spreads quickly like a common cold or the flu.
This year Hand-Foot-Mouth disease is the new plague hitting PTHS. It has many students fearful because they know so little about it. Some students even thought the disease was something that was made up.
Hand-Foot-Mouth disease is a virus that causes sores on the hands, feet and in the mouth. The sores can be very painful. This disease can hit any time of the year, but it is most common in the summer and fall.
“The disease was starting to spread in the public, and then when everyone came together in school that led to the outbreak,” said school nurse Lisa Popovich.
Because the disease is passed through bodily fluids, the best way to stay safe is to avoid contact with someone who may have it.
“Most people don’t realize they have it and are contagious for three-to-six days before symptoms even start to show,” said Popovich.
Senior Emma Orloski was one of the students to be affected by the disease.
“The first day it did not seem that bad; it started off with just a sore throat and a fever. Then by the second day it had developed into little bumps and scabs on my face around my mouth,” Orloski said.
However, the disease quickly progresses from that point.
“The third day the red bumps had popped up on my hands and a little bit on my feet, but nothing was that bad yet,’” Orloski added. “By the fourth day I had the rash had gotten pretty severe on my hands, feet, and mouth becoming extremely itchy. It had gotten so bad I could not sleep because of the itch.
Hand-Foot-Mouth can pass along in multiple ways. Being in close contact with a large student body has allowed the contagious illness to pass in pretty much every way.
Popovich said, “Along with saliva the disease can pass through the fluid from open blisters on the hands, feet and face and if a person does not wash their hands after using the restroom.
Seniors Nick Gdula and Brittany Wukich had differing opinions on this new disease.
“Honestly, I am not worried about this disease at all,” Gdula said.
Wukich is on the opposite end of the spectrum. She said, “I am scared of a breakout, this disease is weird.”
The athletic department is taking steps forward to stop the progression of the disease through sports teams. Both the girl’s soccer team and football team have seen multiple student-athletes fall ill. To help combat this the Warrior Center locker rooms were recently disinfected to kill off the virus.
Hand-Foot-Mouth requires a medical diagnosis but is usually self-treatable. Once treated, the disease should clear itself up within 10 days, according to the CDC.
There are home treatments to help with the itches caused by this disease.
Orloski stated, “Hydrocortisone cream is extremely useful when I feel itchy now.”
According to Popovich there have been at least 20 confirmed cases by a doctor just in PTHS, but she thinks the actual count is much higher because not everyone that is infected goes to a doctor to confirm that they have the illness.
Fortunately, the end should be near soon.
“This is one of those diseases that will run its course through the school and then die out,” Popovich said.