Swine Flu Precautions To Be Taken In Schools

Precautions to be taken in Schools
There it is, schools are reopening on Monday. Are you going to send your kids back?
You are aren't you?

Well we need to take the vigilance, we kept on personal hygiene at home, to schools too. Is your kid’s school ready too?

Here are a few simple measure that a school can take to prevent the spread of H1N1 again:

1. Hand hygiene
The flu may spread via contaminated hands or day to day objects that become contaminated with the viruses. Students and teachers, school staff should be encouraged to wash their hands often with soap(rather the soap dispenser bottles are better) and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Parents should themselves inquire with the school staff if enough amount of Soap, Water, Tissue Papers, Towels etc., are available. Some schools are asking the parents to send in these with their kids. But even then the schools themselves should be providing these so that every kid has access to it, often. If possible supervision should also be provided to smaller kids, as they wash hands in rest rooms, to see that they do it well.

2. Cover Your Cough
Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue/handkerchief when coughing or sneezing and throwing the tissue in the trash after use. Wash hands promptly after coughing or sneezing. If a tissue is not immediately available, coughing or sneezing into one’s arm or sleeve (not into one’s hand) is recommended. To encourage respiratory etiquette, students and staff should have access to tissues and must be educated about the importance of respiratory etiquette, including keeping hands away from the face. Parents can give their kids a small box of tissue papers to use regularly.

3. Routine Cleaning
Schools should regularly clean all areas and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact (for example, keyboards or desks) and also clean these areas immediately when visibly soiled. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas. Those who work in IT or Call Centers must have noticed the army of staff constantly cleaning floors, surfaces, etc. Does your kid’s school do that? Ask them to.

4. Increase social distances within the school environment
Now this depends upon the area available in each classroom and if we go by the number of students that are packed in each division in our schools the chances are bleak. If possible the distances between each desk in the classroom should be increased. Extra vigilance is required in subjects such as Craft, Drawing and Extra Curricular activities where various items (scissors, paper, gum, colors, etc are passed around). If possible those periods should be minimized.
Parents, you were vigilant, you took great care with personal hygiene of your kid at your home, now it is time you took that extra effort to see that your kid’s school too take great care in maintaining hygienic practices in their premises.

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