Preventing Infection in Schools
Children are susceptible to acquiring and spreading infectious illnesses. The average school-age child contracts four or more colds per year, with each such cold potentially lasting from 5 to 14 days.1 There are strategies that can reduce the risk of transmission of infection in school settings. The following preventative practices performed routinely can help decrease illness and related absenteeism of students and school staff. They include:
- Cleaning hands often2
- Covering coughs and sneezes
- Staying home when ill
- Getting the flu shot and routine scheduled immunizations
- Cleaning the classroom and school environment
Educators and school staff play a very important part in teaching, role-modeling and promotion of good hygiene practices. Although all infections can’t be prevented, reducing their frequency is important in creating a healthy environment for learning and working.
1Master D et al, Scheduled hand washing in an elementary school population. Family Medicine. 1997;29 (5):336-339.
2Guinan, Maryellen et al, The effect of a comprehensive hand washing program on absenteeism in elementary schools. AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control. 30(4):217-220, June 2002.
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