When Kids Go Back to School, Germs Follow
Tips for Keeping Kids – and Families — Healthier This Year
The new school year begins soon for many of our kids, some who may be exposed to something other than the usual reading, writing and arithmetic…. like runny noses, raspy coughs and respiratory illnesses!
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
- Children contract approximately 6-10 colds per year; adults get 2-4
- It is estimated public schools lose $30-$40 per day from their budget for each day a student is absent
- Teachers lose an average of 5.5 days per year due to contagious illnesses
- Every year, more than 165 million school days are lost due to illness. It is believed that a great number of these days could be reduced if children merely washed their hands properly and regularly
Studies show infectious illnesses can be reduced by up to 50 percent if we simply – and regularly – wash our hands properly with soap and water.
CleanWell’s five tips for keeping germs away:
- Make hand washing fun! Liquid and bar soaps with high lather can provide all kinds of creative games at the sink and make kids want to wash more frequently and for (at least) the recommended duration of 20 seconds.
- Teach hygienic habits. Educate children about the importance of cleaning their hands immediately after a sneeze or wet cough. A “Bless you” or “Gezundheit” means a trip to the sink or use of a sanitizer whether a tissue was used or not.
- Keep kids home from school when they’re sick. Giving your child the chance to get well gives classmates a chance to stay well and not continually pass around the same bug. And returning to school recovered –fever-free for 24 hours – and strong means less likelihood they’ll get sick again as soon.
- Routinely clean and disinfect. Using soap and water or child-safe cleaners, wash supplies, toys, and objects that regularly travel back and forth with your child to school.
- Give them the tools to stay healthy. Pack your child’s backpack or lunchbox everyday with disposable tissues and CleanWell hand sanitizer spray or wipes. They may not use both as often as they should but if you don’t provide them, they can’t use them at all.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 at 12:27 pm and is filed under Clean Hands, Clean Kids, Out and About. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
