The number of cases of viral conjunctivitis, commonly known as ‘pink eye,’ surged to nearly 100,000 in Punjab within a short span, causing concern about the highly contagious nature of this infection. In rare instances, it can lead to long-lasting inflammation of the cornea, resulting in permanent vision issues.
Recently in Punjab, there’s a big problem with pink eye, which is also called viral conjunctivitis. In just a few days, almost 100,000 people got infected. This eye infection spreads very easily. However, in rare cases, it can cause serious eye problems.
In the last day alone, over 10,000 new cases were reported. The city with the most cases is Bahawalpur, where 1,540 people have it. Other places like Faisalabad, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Lahore also have many cases.
Because of this outbreak, more than 56,000 schools in Punjab are closed for the rest of the week. They want to stop the infection from spreading.
The head of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, visited a school in Lahore and saw students with pinked eye disease. He was not happy about it. Moreover, he immediately told the person in charge of schools that kids with the virus should not go to school.
This decision is to keep kids safe from pink eye. The schools will open again on Monday, and they will follow special rules to stop the infection.
Pink eye can be caused by germs or allergies. Usually, it gets better on its own after a couple of weeks.
CM Naqvi said that the contagious disease is spreading quickly in schools. He found that six to seven kids in each class had it. Starting from Monday, teachers will check every child’s eyes when they come to school.
The pink eye makes the eyes red, itchy, and watery. However, they can also have pus that sticks to the lashes. It might feel like there’s something gritty in the eye.
What You Can Do
Here are some tips to help protect yourself from the pink eye virus:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
- Avoid touching your eyes.
- Do not share towels, pillows, or other personal items with someone who has pink eye.
- If you have an affected eye, stay home from work or school until you are no longer contagious.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions or concerns about pink eye, please talk to your doctor.