Back to school germs: Local expert gives advice on what kids, parents can do to stay healthy

Lifestyles

TIPS TO STOP GERMS

1. Wash your hands frequently
Use warm, soapy water and rub vigorously for at least 20 seconds — about the amount of time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Avoid eating or touching your eyes, nose and mouth without washing your hands first.
2. Verify staff’s hand-washing policy
For many families, daycare is essential. When choosing a facility, be sure to check into the daycare facility’s hand washing policy, the actual hand washing practices and the availability of sinks.
3. Disinfect common surfaces
In a school setting these include drinking fountain handles, water faucets in sinks, light switches, paper towel dispensers, handles and doorknobs.
4. wipe down desks and keyboards.
Research done at the University of Arizona found that desk surfaces, computer keyboards and computer mouses ranked high in levels of five bacteria: E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Streptococcus, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.
But when office workers were told to clean their desk with disinfecting wipes, bacterial levels were reduced by 99 percent.
5. Send tissues to school
The latest trend in tissues are virucidal tissues, which prevent the spread of viruses around the house because it kills them when you blow your nose. Encourage you child to cover his nose or mouth when sneezing or coughing and after using a tissue, throw it away. Also, sneeze into tissues and cough into your elbow instead of your hands.
6. Give your child mechanical pencils
Studies have shown that the dirtiest thing in any classroom is the community pencil sharpener, said Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at University of Arizona in Tucson. “Pack mechanical pencils in your child's school supplies so he or she doesn't have to use it.”
7. Don't borrow crayons.
Have your own box of crayons as all inanimate objects passed from one person to another are potentially germ carriers.
8. Clean community toys
Wash stuffed animals in the washing machine weekly during cold and flu season. Plastic toys can be washed with soap and water and board game surfaces can be wiped down with disinfecting wipes.
9. Hang your backpack in the restroom.
“The bottom of women's purses are pretty bad,” Gerba said. “About 25 percent have fecal bacteria because women put it down on the toilet floor in restroom,” he said. “Encourage your son or daughter to hang their backpack on a hook if they take it to the school restroom.”

— Web M.D. — www.webmd.com

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August 30, 2010

By TARA HETTINGER Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Mon Aug 30, 2010, 02:43 PM EDT

> SOUTHERN INDIANA — School is back in session and that means children may start to bring home more than just homework.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone.

Selma Clark, infection prevention manager for Clark Memorial Hospital, said she can tell when children are back in school.

“We notice a bigger rise in infections in the fall,” she said. “ ... because when the kids get together, they share their germs.”

She said during the summer, children are often separated, with some being at home, family members’ houses or at daycare. She said the fall brings children back to one place.

“Kids are getting together and they touch things,” Clark said, adding that most germs are contracted through contact. “You have to touch it to get it and that’s what children do.”

But she said there are precautions parents and children can take to stay healthy. She said the most important is to encourage effective and frequent hand washing and avoiding the T-zone — the eyes, nose and mouth. Clark said contaminated hands touching the T-zone is how germs get into people’s bodies.

Give kids sanitizer gel, if old enough, to use often in school. She also said to disinfect commonly used areas, such as doorknobs and light switches.

Clark said to discourage your child from using water fountains, since some children put their mouths on them. She also said switching to mechanical pencils can help. Studies have shown that the dirtiest thing in any classroom is the community pencil sharpener, Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at University of Arizona, said on Web M.D.

Clark said children should also be told to not share food, drinks or clothing.

She said staff infections, such as MRSA, are becoming common in this area and is being seen in daycares, playgrounds, churches and more. To help keep kids safe, she said to keep cuts and scrapes covered and use effective hand-washing.

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Back to school germs: Local expert gives advice on what kids, parents can do to stay healthy

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