Hey Folks,
I just wanted to put a quick word out on the coming “sick season” . . .
First of all, you may have heard on the news about the Enterovirus D68, and that there have been 2 reported cases in Alameda County. It’s important to know that this is not, by any means, a new disease, it’s just less common.
Enterovirus-D68 causes symptoms that are similar to the symptoms of a cold or flu, such as cough, sneezing, runny nose, body aches, or fever, but in this outbreak, many children do NOT have a fever.
Enterovirus-D68 is thought to spread from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or contaminates a surface with their respiratory secretions. Enteroviruses in general can also be spread in the stool.
The single most important prevention strategy is to encourage hand washing. Hand hygiene with soap and water is preferred as alcohol-based hand sanitizers have limited effectiveness against enteroviruses.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), infants, children, and teenagers are most likely to get infected with enteroviruses and become ill, because they do not yet have immunity (protection) from previous exposures to these viruses.
Adults can get infected with enteroviruses, but they are more likely to have no symptoms or mild symptoms. Children with asthma may have a higher risk for severe respiratory illness caused by EV-D68 infection.
Having said all of that, the best prevention is good hand washing, which is the case for any of these “seasonal” viruses. We should also be keeping our focus on all of the popular viruses such as the flu and cold bugs that get us down since they are common. We’re hoping to kill two birds with one stone and keep all of us safe and healthy.
Please review with your students (of all ages) proper handwashing…
To properly wash your hands, follow these simple steps:
First, wet your hands with warm or cold water and apply soap.
Next, rub your hands together vigorously to create a lather. Scrub all surfaces of your hands, including the back of your hands, your wrists, and between your fingers. Also clean under your fingernails to help control germs. Keep fingernails trimmed and short.
Continue for at least 20 seconds or about the length of a little tune (for example: sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs.
Rinse your hands well, until there is no more soap residue (vital for rinsing off any germs that survive) and dry them with a clean towel
Our cleaning company, NoMoreDirt, has started using a heavy hand in disinfecting handles, doorknobs, etc. to help out.
