WITH classrooms acting like Petri dishes for winter illnesses, children risk catching lots of nasty bugs as they head back to school this week.
Here’s how to keep your children as healthy as possible, according to the experts.
GettyThe health advice comes as many children return to school for the spring term[/caption]
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It comes as the NHS warned winter is “hitting hard” with Covid and flu patient numbers surging.
A new super contagious Covid variant, JN.1, is driving infection rates to near-record levels.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned it is also seeing a lot of stomach bugs norovirus and E.coli, while Victorian diseases like whooping cough also appear to be rising in parts of the country for the first time in years.
Medics also fear a return of measles, which was once eliminated in England, because not enough parents are vaccinating their children.
This year, up to one in seven children are not fully protected by the time they start school, leaving them at risk from the super-contagious bug.
The advice comes as many children head back to school for the spring term, where they are more likely to get sick.
“The winter period can see an increase in some of the common seasonal viruses which disrupt children’s education and cause more serious illnesses,” says Dr Catherine Falconer from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The advice is to:
1. Teach good hygiene habits
Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of viruses, the experts say, because they can live on our hands.
Teach your child the importance of using soap and warm water for 20 seconds or hand sanitiser to clean hands regularly.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, clinical consultant of Patient.info, emphasises the need to ensure kids wash their hands thoroughly to stop the spread of all bugs, especially norovirus, otherwise known as the ‘the winter vomiting bug’.
She told The Sun Online: “Wash, wash and wash again!
“Norovirus is spread via the ‘faecal oral route’, which is just as disgusting as it sounds.
“Germs passed out in an infected person’s poo can be picked up on someone else’s hands, and transferred into their mouths when they touch their mouths or via food.
“So wash your hands thoroughly after going to the loo, before you handle or eat food and after you empty a potty.
“If children in your kids’ circle are affected, steer clear of them until they have been clear of diarrhoea or vomiting for at least 48 hours.”
To stop respiratory infections from spreading, like flu or Covid, use tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, bin them afterwards and then wash hands (again).
2. Keep them home when necessary
Children should be kept at home from school or nursery if they have a high temperature (fever) and are unwell. You must wait until it has passed before going back.
If your child has diarrhoea and/or vomiting, you should also wait 48 hours before returning to stop the spread of stomach bugs.
But if they have a runny nose, sore throat or slight cough – without a high temperature – children are encouraged to go to school, nursery or childcare.
Scarlet fever and chickenpox also spread at this time of year, with cases usually peaking in late winter and early spring, health officials say.
Scarlet fever symptoms include sore throat, swollen neck glands, a bumpy rash on the tummy, flushed cheeks and ‘strawberry tongue’.
If you suspect your child has scarlet fever, contact your local GP; and if diagnosed, stay away from nursery or school for 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics.
Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection triggered by Group A Strep bacteria.
In rare cases, the bacteria can reach the bloodstream and cause a fatal invasive disease called iGAS.
Chickenpox is very contagious – the most common symptom is an itchy, spotty rash. You should keep your children off school until all the spots have crusted over.
3. Get your children jabbed
The most simple way of stopping your child from getting sick from bugs like flu, Covid, measles and whooping cough is to ensure they are fully vaccinated, UKHSA says.
However, childhood vaccine uptake against flu and other diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and polio has dropped.
If you are unsure if your child is up to date with vaccinations the easiest way to check is to look at your child’s red book or speak to your health visitor.
You can find out if your child is eligible for a flu vaccine in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.