For the last month, the airwaves have been infiltrated with the usual Back To School advertisements in preparation for the beginning of classes. As always, there is a preponderance of offers to assist each and every student meet the needs and challenges of the school time experience. If one would believe the message, having the right writing implements, a collection of fashionable clothing, and the proper lunch containers will lead to a prosperous year.
But amid all the advertorial advice, there is a dearth of direction to avoid one of the most important concerns for any student - and indeed, parent - during their daily academic acquisition: illness. Despite the evidence schools disseminate not only knowledge but also infection, little has been shared to ensure the scholastic experience is a healthy one.
While the commercial world remains for the most part mute, the research community has been hard at work to find the most feasible options to slow down the spread of pathogens. In the context of epidemiology, schools have long been known to be one of the most difficult environments to prevent and control infection spread. Unfortunately, unlike the days of teacher-driven hygiene of the 1800s, today we know the army of teachers, administrative, health and janitorial staff cannot accomplish this alone. A more coordinated effort is required involving not only parents, but the students themselves.
The potential for widespread infection in a school has been known for decades, thanks in part to two of the most feared viruses, poliovirus and measles. Yet, understanding the mechanics of these outbreaks has only been learned in the last decade. The greatest contributions came after the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 as researchers sought out to better explain how the flu can spread so rapidly.
The results revealed the number of interactions between students far surpassed the ability of any one teacher to suppress. Based on these contacts alone, the transmission rate could be as much as 20 times higher in schools than in homes and the workplace. Then there were the children; they were the greatest contributing factor to spread due to a lack of universal hygiene. To keep a school safe required the student body to play its part. To succeed, each child would need to fulfill three requirements.
The first necessity is to improve overall hand hygiene. Though children can be taught to wash hands starting at two years of age, their ability to comply can wane. To help keep hygiene fresh, the European Union developed an online program called e-Bug, which offered information to students in an engaging and entertaining way to help promote a more hygienic life. Turning away from the computer, a selection of hand hygiene games have been promoted to teach handwashing and hand sanitizer use. For hygiene reinforcement at school, there is a plethora of resources for teachers to use in classes to strengthen the message of hygiene.
The second need is vaccination. After all, while hygiene can stop the spread of the aforementioned polio virus, it is no longer a great concern thanks to a vaccine. In contrast, as seen over the last few years, a lack of universal acceptance of the vaccine has led to outbreaks and a renewed fear for children's safety. In Canada, the Canadian Immunization Guide offers a searchable database to attain the right timeline for a child's immunological education. In addition to the standard vaccinations, the yearly flu shot has shown time and again to reduce the levels of student absenteeism.
The third requirement -- and perhaps hardest one -- is to control spread in the surrounding environment. Almost every surface in the school, from the water fountain to computer keyboards, can be rife with infectious germs such as influenza and norovirus. To ensure the hygienic behaviour is supported by clean surfaces, proper surface cleaning and disinfection is required. Granted, most surfaces are already cleaned on a regular basis but by increasing the frequency of cleaning -- in part aided by the teachers, the students and possibly the parents -- the levels of risk are significantly reduced as is the level of infection.
As with any infection prevention and control program, there is no guarantee a child will remain healthy throughout the school year. Infections come and go due to a number of reasons separate from personal hygiene. The complaints of a cold, the dread of diarrhea, and vexation of vomiting are all part of a child's growing up process. But one of the keys to a happy school year is to have these unfortunate events happen as infrequently as possible. For that, kids have to be hygienic and stay that way.
So, this back to school season, while shopping for those advertised necessities, make sure to take your child's health into consideration as well. Stock up on the hand sanitizer and/or wipes and make sure to revisit hand hygiene regularly. Ensure immunizations are up to date to keep the preventable infections at bay. Finally, if it's possible, lend a hand in the classroom to clean up; based on studies, it's only a few minutes extra a day and may save weeks of frustration over the year to come.
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