Healthy Hygiene and Disease Prevention |
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Healthy Hygiene and Disease Prevention
Schools bring together in close proximity 53 million students and six million adults nationwide. According to the Department of Education, one in five people spend most of their days in schools. Close proximity brings more opportunity for the spread of germs.
Nearly 22 million school days are lost each year to the common cold alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Much illness can be avoided by good personal hygiene and good cleaning practices. The single most important thing you can do to avoid illness and to prevent it from spreading is to wash your hands, according to the CDC.
- Infection is the process by which microscopic organisms (germs) enter a susceptible site in the body and multiply, resulting in tissue injury or disease.
Specific infectious diseases
- Colds -- common symptoms are a runny or stuffy nose and sneezing. It is mostly spread in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes (droplet spread), and it is milder than the flu.
- Flu -- a respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It is usually more severe than a cold and includes additional symptoms of fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough. It is mostly spread in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes (droplet spread).
- Bloodborne pathogens -- microorganisms present in human blood that can cause disease in humans. Among these pathogens are:
For more information on dealing with blood borne pathogens see The Red Book
- Norovirus -- group of related, viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans.
how to prevent infection
- Hand washing – the single most important thing you can do to prevent the spread of germs and to stay health
- Universal precautions – an approach to infection control that treats all body fluids as if they are infectious
- Vaccination – an injection (or other delivery method) that produces immunity to a disease
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