Once an infectious disease invades, it is very easy to cause the spread of the epidemic, and it is more likely to spread from the school to the family and even to the community, resulting in a pandemic.
Since infectious diseases fluctuate over time and prevention or treatment measures are updated in response to various pathogens, any infectious disease may arise in schools.
Taiwan's current "Communicable Disease Control Act" originated in 1944, has undergone seven revisions. The most recent version was promulgated on January 20, 2004. Article 3 categorizes statutory infectious diseases into five distinct groups. However, the infectious diseases that are likely to arise in schools are not just statutory infectious diseases, there are many other infectious diseases, and new infectious diseases are inevitable with the change of seasons, such as H5N1 avian influenza. Therefore, no matter when an infectious epidemic occurs, schools should follow the infectious disease control regulations to implement all related operations.
The principles of infectious disease control primarily involve eliminating the source of infection, cutting off the route of transmission, and protecting susceptible hosts. Consequently, campus epidemic prevention efforts should focus on enhancing environmental hygiene, administering vaccinations, preventing direct infection (early detection and early isolation), and providing health education. Furthermore, a standardized processing procedure should be established to swiftly and effectively curb the spread of infectious diseases.
The latest information on the control of infectious diseases is available on the websites of the "Ministry of Health and Welfare" and the "Centers for Disease Control", and schools should regularly search for the latest updates online and share the informations with teachers, students, and parents. This will help ensure the accurate dissemination of knowledge regarding infectious diseases and their corresponding treatment measures, reducing the risk of infection and panic while promoting better health.