Kids full of lice? ‘Social exclusion is the real danger of this animal’ | Family

Ursula Schipper, founder and owner of the Lice Clinic knows how to tell it better. “We saw more cases of head lice in corona time than before that time. I estimate an increase of 20 to 30 percent over the past two years, especially within families. Precisely because there seems to have been more physical contact between parents and children due to being at home. And head lice love that.”

Thijs Veenstra of RIVM cannot confirm Schipper’s observation with figures. “Somehow you would expect that keeping your distance would affect the number of head lice cases, but we have not done any research on that.” What he does know is that head lice are a persistent animal.

Will lice – just like the corona measures – ever disappear? The fact that many a lice mother lets a lot of children’s hair slide through the lice comb in the days after spring break may be enough. “A louse is a parasite that is difficult to fight,” Veenstra confirms when asked. ,,But if you look at the characteristics of the louse, there is no reason for concern. Head lice are unable to spread disease. There are people who often and for a long time suffer from lice, which is certainly annoying. But if you compare the louse in my field of infectious diseases with other parasites, it is just a nuisance creature from which we have little to fear.”

That lice can cause unpleasant situations is an understatement for Schipper. In her clinic she sees distressing cases every week. Kids who have been battling lice for months no matter what they try. Sometimes to social exclusion and bullying. “I think that’s the real problem with head lice. That people who can’t help it are stigmatized because of the assumption that they are just messing around. The stress and loneliness that this regularly causes really hurts me.”

Please have a little more understanding for children and adults with head lice, is the message from Schipper. “You should know that about 50 percent of people don’t get itchy from lice. This gives the animal the chance to multiply considerably. Then try to get your hair out.” According to Schipper, a treatment with home-garden-and-kitchen products is not effective for everyone. “Because nits can remain in the hair, a new infestation follows in no time. That can really drive people insane, no matter how hard they try.”

Combing, combing, combing is the motto. Both in case of infection and as a preventive measure, especially in children of primary school age. “We know that they are the largest spreaders of lice,” says Veenstra. ,,They have a lot of contact, they play close to each other. We suspect that teenagers are also more likely to suffer from lice than other age groups. They just don’t like to tell, which could explain the underreporting in this age group.” According to Schipper, the moisture balance on the head also influences the ‘susceptibility’ to lice. Lice like to nest where it is warm and humid. A thick head of hair is a mecca for lice. Just like the scalp that perspires easily.”

If you think back to your own lice past, you may recognize the big cleaning that followed after an infestation. Garbage bags full of clothes. Washing machines full of bed linen. Outdated, Veenstra knows. Lice spread almost exclusively through hair-to-hair contact. Combing all close contacts in the family and at school with a lice comb is therefore the most effective to combat the lice.”

The only three exceptions according to Schipper: the brush, the hair elastic and perhaps real fur collars. “After all, that’s her.” Lice can survive for 48 hours. A night in the freezer does wonders.

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