Cold and Flu Season is upon us once again!
With the winter comes a new batch of germs for us to share. We are all doing our best to prevent the spread to each other as much as possible. This is a great time to review the recommendation regarding when to keep your student home if he/she has:
- Fever in the past 24 hours (must be fever free-
less than 99.6 without pain/fever reliever
medication to return to school).
- Vomiting in the past 24 hours
- Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Strep throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school).
- Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the student awake at night.
- Pink or red eye(s) with drainage.
**When your child visits a doctor due to an illness or injury, please obtain a medical clearance from your child’s physician before he/she returns to school**
Did you know?
- Nearly 22 million school days are lost each year
due to the common cold.
- 52.2 million cases of the common cold affect
children under 17 years of age each year.
- Children have about 6-10 colds a year.
- Adults average 2-4 colds a year.
- Some viruses and bacteria can live from 20
minutes up to 2 hours or more on surfaces like
cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks.
Handwashing
"The most important thing that you can do to keep from
getting sick is to wash your hands," according to the
CDC. Many studies
document handwashing's impact on student and staff
attendance -- school-wide handwashing programs reduce
absenteeism.
When should you wash your hands?
- You should wash your hands often.
- Before and after handling food.
- After using the bathroom.
- After touching animals.
- When your hands are dirty, and more frequently
when someone in your home is sick.
Somjai Cochran, RN, BSN, PHNHJUHSD District School Nurse
scochran@hjuhsd.orgTel: 559-583-5902 Ext 4038
