It’s back-to-school time, and that means for teachers and students alike it’s also a time you’re more likely to get sick.
That’s mainly because once students and teachers start gathering together, schools become a hotbed of germs. But there are ways to help keep you healthy this year.
First, teaching children, especially the young ones, about hand hygiene can go a long way to slowing down the spread of germs. This means teaching them to cough or sneeze into their bent elbow instead of their hand.
It also means teaching them the importance of hand-washing (especially after coughing or sneezing into them), using the restroom, playing outdoors or before eating. Understanding the germiest places in the school can help as well. Although you might think this means the bathroom, areas with more germs include the water fountain and even cafeteria trays.
Obviously children — and teachers too — won’t be able to avoid all germs, so keeping your immune system as robust as possible can help keep from getting sick. That means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, and exercising on a regular basis. And if someone does get sick, the best thing they can do to not only help themselves but also the rest of the school’s students and staff is to stay home to recover. This will both help them recover quicker and limit how much they spread the germs they’ve already picked up.
