Coxsackie at NWR and How to Avoid It

By Nick Rogers and Amanda Gaudiosi 

Here at North Warren there are a number of cases of Coxsackie. Also known as “hand, foot, and mouth disease, “Coxsackie is a common viral illness that is most frequently active in the summer and early fall. This disease is commonly spread throughout sports teams. Some symptoms include a fever, reduced appetite, sore throat, and painful sores in the mouth, hands, and feet. We asked our nurse and coaches if it is causing problems for students and staff members. For the most part, it is affecting those who play sports and is spreading like wildfire throughout the entire building. 

When we asked Mr. Tillou, football coach, “How is Coxsackie affecting our sports team?” his response was, “A lot of people on our football team are starting to get it and that limits us on our practice days and when our practice days are messed around with, that also messes with our game days.”

We then asked, “How often is the equipment cleaned?”  His response with respect to the team was, “We clean our equipment everyday; that includes the weight room facilities and all of the sports and gym locker rooms.”

  Mrs. Dispoto, our school nurse, also provided us with plenty of information on how many people obtained the virus in this school. A total of 7 people in this school obtained Coxsackie and 5 of those people are on the football team. She also explained in great detail that this school had this last year as well. Her advice is to wash your hands thoroughly, keep them under warm water for 20 seconds, scrub them with soap, then dry them afterwards.

  If you do obtain the virus, you should refrain from attending school and all sports. This prevents the spread of any viruses.With all this information, it is safe to say that coxsackie can be easily prevented. The school staff is trying their hardest to keep the school clean and their students safe.