Child care facilities are “hotspots for germs” say report
Getting ill is for youngsters is sometimes inevitable, but there are simple but effective ways to reduce the risks in a preschool, nursery or childcare facility. Perhaps the most important of all is hand washing with soap and water – but it must be taught properly to children, according to a recent article on the Today’s Parent website.
When children first start preschool, their immune systems are “developing” and this may well be the first time that they have been exposed to large numbers of viruses, a point which is raised by an infectious disease specialist at McMaster Children’s Hospital https://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/mcmaster-childrens-hospital/ in the report.
Dr. Sarah Khan is quoted as saying
“They may not share toys well, but they definitely share germs — coughing, sneezing, mouthing toys, and runny noses are all ways viruses in respiratory secretions can be passed along to classmates”.
These viruses, writes the author Melissa Boufounos CHN, often include ear and throat infections, conjunctivitis, hand, foot and mouth disease, common colds, respiratory illnesses (including flu and RSV) and of course “gastrointestinal bugs” including norovirus which has been widespread this year.
There are many ways that illnesses are spread from child to child writes Boufounos, who includes examples such as droplet transmission, feral-oral transmission (which is of course really gross!), coming into contact with contaminated surfaces and of course by direct contact.
Teach hand washing the right way
Getting children to learn how and when to wash their hands well can be hard work: it requires a real effort. But it’s worth it as it’s a lesson that lasts a lifetime.
“Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent illness in daycare, but for young children, it’s a habit that requires lots of practice, both at daycare and at home.”
There are five key steps to ensuring that a hand wash is an effective one says the report.
- Get hands wet with clean, running water – it doesn’t matter whether it’s warm or cold.
- Apply soap and rub it in vigorously all round the hands
- Scrub all parts of the hands – wrists, between fingers as well as under fingernails. Do this for 20 seconds, or about the time it takes to sing “happy birthday” twice suggests the article
- Wash the soap off under clean running water
- Dry hands carefully.
Hand gels, according to the report, are less useful and cary inherent risks says the article. They should “only be used under adult supervision” – but “never as a complete replacement for proper handwashing.” They aren’t as effective as good old soap and water washing when hands are visibly dirty.
Prevent Daycare Sickness With These Smart Strategies »
The importance of hand washing in preschools
Mobile hand wash units for children can be used indoors and out
The Kiddiwash range of warm water hand wash units are perfect for smaller hands – and are ideal where a portable solution is required.
Whether you require a larger wheeled unit such as the KiddiSynk, or the ultra portable Kiddiwash Xtra, you can ensure that all children in your care are able to wash their hands whether inside or out.
