Concerns regarding the outbreak of the swine flu virus continue to rise internationally. As of May 12, 5,000 cases of swine flu infection have been reported by the World Health Organization. Just recently, a child care center in Southern Dakota was closing because of a probable case of swine flu last May 1. The influenza virus is often spread when a person touched surfaces or objects contaminated by the virus such as doorknobs, desks, tables, or other person’s hands. It can also pass on through touching one’s eyes, mouth, and nose without washing their hands. Thus, parents and child care providers must understand that children must be protected and watched over in the child care environment.
Children and child care providers should always wash their hands with soap and water especially before eating, after using restrooms, and after having outdoor activities. Since preventing the spread of swine flu is just like preventing other diseases in child care settings, here are some common sense tips on how child care providers can protect their children from infections.
Hand washing practices
• Always encourage children to use soap and water to wash their hands when hands get dirty after playing, eating, and toileting. If water and soap are not available, advise them to use alcohol hand cleaner instead.
• Child care providers as well should wash their hands regularly especially after handling infants and children, before and after feeding, after cleaning child’s face, after changing diapers, and after helping a child with toileting. This is to prevent the spread of virus from one child to another.
• Teach children to wash their hands for 15 to 20 seconds to make sure that their hands get clean.
• Supervise children when using alcohol hand cleaner. Keep disinfectants away from them and do not use alcohol-based cleaner to sensitive skin of toddlers and infants.
• While washing hands, make sure that children wash all surfaces, between fingers, back of hands, wrists, fingernails, and even arms.
• Rinse well under running water to ensure that all dirt are washed away.
• Then dry hands under hand dryer or with a clean paper towels.
Adequate Supplies and Cleaning Products
• Always ensure that there are available supplies of tissues, paper towels, soap, and alcohol hand cleaners in restrooms and sinks and in locations where children usually stay like reading room.
• In diaper changing area, ensure that there are supplies of disposable gloves as well as alcohol hand cleaner, or paper towels. Make sure that used tissues, gloves, and diapers should be properly dispensed so no one can get it especially children.
• In household cleaning, use only Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - registered disinfectants like chlorine bleach or hypochlorite solution. Always follow instructions indicated in labels of those products.
Covering Mouth When Sneezing and Coughing
• Child care providers should teach children to use tissue to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing. In this way, germs and viruses would be prevented from spreading.
• If in case children sneezed or coughed on their hands, wash their hands immediately with soap and water, or with alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available.
For more: How to start a daycare business
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