January 22, 2009 (CHICAGO)
The National PTA, headquartered here in Chicago, reports that a child
can touch up to 300 surfaces in 30 minutes making students a top vehicle for
spreading viruses, especially influenza or the common flu. In addition, 3 out of
4 teachers say they have missed school an average of 5 days because they caught
an illness from a child. Nearly 22 million school days are lost across the
country because of colds and flu.
The PTA also reveals these worrying statistics:
- The average school desk can harbor up to 400 times more bacteria than the
average toilet seat.
- Classrooms can have up to seven times more germs than a doctor's office.
- At the height of cold and flu season, 76 percent of school nurses see upwards of
16 students in one day and more than half send five or more sick children home
each day.
- 94 percent of school nurses surveyed believe classroom cleaning protocols for
teachers to follow would help combat germs at school.
But the PTA says parents can take an active role during flu season to keep
their children healthy:
Create a Cleaning Crew: Host parent cleaning events before school starts
and periodically throughout the year. Have everyone bring a different classroom
supply - such as disinfecting wipes, tissues and hand sanitizer - to help keep
your school clean year-round.
Help Stock Up: More than 56 percent of teachers buy their own cleaning
supplies. You can help by donating cleaning supplies, such as disinfecting
wipes, to help your teacher stock the classroom and keep it clean.
Teach Healthy Habits: Remind kids to share wisely. It's great to share
items like books, toys and pencils, but not items like combs, brushes, hats,
toothbrushes, tissues, whistles, cups and forks.
Encourage Nutrition: Breakfast is vital, so never skip. Pack your child a
healthy lunch including fruits and vegetables and provide a healthy after school
snack.
Build Immunity: Students need to get plenty of sleep and physical activity,
drink water, and eat good food to help them stay healthy in the winter and all
year.
Learn the Elbow Cough: Teach children to cough into their elbow, not hands
(where it's more likely germs will spread through touch).
Wash Your Hands Frequently Germs are a huge culprit in causing the flu.
Make sure children wash hands frequently with warm water and soap for at least
20 seconds. That's the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.
For more tips and information, visit www.CleanUpClassrooms.com
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