ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — If COVID-19 and other respiratory infections weren’t enough, doctors across the state are facing a rise in hand, foot, and mouth disease.
The Center for Disease Control said the “virus is common in children under five years old, but anyone can get it. The illness is usually not serious, but it is very contagious.”
Symptoms, according to physicians, can include fever and flu-like symptoms, along with mouth sores and a skin rash.
The Guardian spoke with Adena Pediatrics Friday regarding the rise in cases. A pediatrician with the practice said that they “had seen more cases in the last two months than they had seen in three years.”
“Our child just got over having COVID, and now this,” said one parent. “There is just too much going around. What else could be coming next”?
Currently, there is no vaccine or medication for hand, foot, and mouth disease. According to pediatricians, the virus usually lasts ten days.
Doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital recommend that children with the virus stay hydrated.
