- Children can touch and retouch over 300 surfaces in just 30 minutes.
- The average toddler gets 6 to 8 colds a year. School- aged children can get as many as 12.
- Germs that cause colds and flu can survive on common classroom surfaces for up to 72 hours.
- Children, and women ages 20 to 30 (moms with young kids), get the most colds.
- Children are 2 to 3 times more likely than adults to get the flu.
- Nearly 22 million school days are lost each year due to the common cold.
- Teach your children to wash their hands thoroughly. Washing for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice) is the most effective way to eliminate germs. (For more tips on encouraging good handwashing habits, visit the CDC online at http://cdc.gove/ncidod/op/materials.htm.)
- Have children wash their hands as soon as they get home from school, or doing activities outside.
- Disinfect and sanitize your home to help reduce the spread of germs at home.
- Practice good health habits. These habits include: Getting a good night’s sleep; eating a well balanced, healthy diet; drinking plenty of fluids; and avoid sharing food and drinks with others.
- Try to keep children from touching or rubbing their eyes, nose and mouth.
- Teach your child to sneeze, cough, or blow their nose into a clean tissue and then properly dispose of it. 900
Reprinted with permission of © 2009 Alliance for Consumer Education. All Rights Reserved.
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