Schools are now allowing students to wear trousers or leggings and full-sleeve shirts so they could protect themselves from mosquito bites and stay safe from dengue.
Boys in senior classes wear trousers to schools. The ones in the junior classes, too, are being allowed to wear them during the dengue season.
The school authorities are inspecting their campuses to ensure water does not accumulate in plant pots, on terraces or in any other place, a drill that many schools follow every year when dengue infections are on the rise.
Several schools issued notices last week, following up on the school education department’s guidelines on the prevention and management of dengue.
A couple of days back, the principal of St James’ School, Terence Ireland, sent a notice to parents, saying: “As an advisory against the menace caused by mosquitoes, parents may send their child to school in a full-sleeved shirt and a pair of full-length trousers to keep themselves covered.”
Similar notices have also been sent by Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Indus Valley World School and Rammohan Mission High School, officials of the three institutions said.
“Whoever is seeking permission from us regarding wearing full sleeves or trousers, we are allowing,” said Koeli Dey, principal of Sushila Birla Girls’ School.
Doctors are advising that one should keep covered as much of the body as possible as a precaution against mosquito bites. They are also urging people to apply mosquito repellents.
“Every third or fourth case of fever without much of a cough and cold in children or adolescents is turning out to be dengue. This has been so for three weeks now,” said Apurbo Ghosh, director, Institute of Child Health.
“Strong non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided in dengue,” he said.
If diagnosed with fever, patients should drink lots of water, said Ghosh.
At Indus Valley World School, the notice mentions wearing patches to prevent mosquito bites.
“Our school uniform is trousers for all students, except for those in the pre-primary classes. So now we have told parents that they can send the children to school in covered clothing,” said Amita Prasad, director of the school.
Rammohan Mission High School has made trousers or leggings compulsory for students up to Class IV. “Over the last three or four years, we have been allowing trousers or leggings from July,” said Sujoy Biswas, principal, Rammohan Mission High School.
“If the students notice any water accumulation on the campus, they should bring it to the notice of the school,” said Biswas.
