The Illustrious Official College of Podiatry of the Valencian Community (Icopcv) has shared some recommendations to reduce “as much as possible” injuries to the feet and nails after prolonged exposure to a humid environment. The most common are dermatitis and fungi.
Due to the situation suffered in Valencia by DANA, affected people and volunteers are having to wear shoes to which they are not accustomed every day and for many hours, such as the wellies necessary to carry out cleaning tasks.
Spare socks to avoid wet feet
«The first thing we have to do is try to protect our feet from humidity, to keep them dry and insulated, which is why wellies or the use of footwear made with waterproof materials are necessary. To this we must add good socks that protect and keep the foot dry, since the plastic in the boots causes greater sweating,” explained podiatrist and member of the Icopcv board of directors, Jorge Escoto, in a statement.
Escoto recommends carrying spare socks and, if they get wet, changing them as soon as possible. “If you have not been able to protect your feet from water or mud with insulated shoes, you should wash your feet well after the day with neutral soap and warm water, dry them correctly and take special care in the interdigital spaces,” he said. listed. After that, he advises applying “appropriate hydration,” he continued.
Health does not propose evacuating the population
For her part, the Minister of Health, Mónica García, has confirmed that, “for now”, at no time have they raised the possibility of evacuating the population of the municipalities most affected by DANA due to the risk of an increase in infections due to DANA. pathogens and vectors produced by stagnant water and wastewater.
«We hope that the situation will improve to the extent that the collection of this waste is increasingly improved. “We are in contact with the water companies and we are in contact with Miteco, with the Ministry of Ecological Transition, to see when and how the problems with treatment plants and waste removal are being resolved,” the minister stated in an interview on RNE. collected by Europa Press.
However, he recalled that “to this day” there is no evidence, “or alert”, from any professional in the field who has reported that the number of gastroenteritis or the number of cases has increased in a “considerable or quantitatively important” way. of patients with certain infectious symptoms. Although, he recognizes that we must “be alert and act as soon as the first symptoms appear to be able to detect the microorganism and be able to adequately treat the population.”
Persistent fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain…
Therefore, it has recommended to neighbors and volunteers that if they have persistent fever, intense vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, severe abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, infected wounds or dehydration, they should seek health care to make an early diagnosis and treat possible infections.
Thus, he highlighted the work being carried out by the Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (Ccaes) of the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health, which are preparing all the protocols to avoid pathogens in stagnant waters that can trigger infections, especially gastrointestinal infections, which are the most reported; as well as any possible case of infection with epidemic potential, jaundice or pneumonia.
In this sense, based on scientific evidence and in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), it calls for caution and that preventive hygiene and protection measures be followed: mask, eye protector, gloves and boots. Also, wash your hands well if you have had contact with the mud.
A mass tetanus vaccination is not advisable
The minister recommends caution considering that the recovery and cleaning process is going to be long, and, therefore, for a time we will have to be aware of vectors, pathogens and microorganisms that can bring some diseases. However, a mass tetanus vaccination is not advisable, although it is recommended for those people who work in the field, have had an injury and are not up to date with the vaccination guidelines.
Although out of caution, in all centers of the Valencian Community the availability of the vaccines necessary for the immunization of the population (against tetanus, hepatitis A and B, etc.) or seasonal vaccines, if necessary, has been ensured.
Regarding the municipalities hardest hit by DANA, where they still have no health centers because they have been devastated by the storm, “emergency assistance points have been set up and the population is being able to be treated if not at their usual health center.” at these alternative points,” he explained.
The minister, who believes that this is not the time to look for those responsible and that the main cause of the catastrophe is DANA, – “an absolutely catastrophic meteorological phenomenon that we will have to evaluate and reflect on” – has emphasized the “truthful information » and in «flee from misinformation». “Information and science save lives,” he reiterated.
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