Research has shown the single most effective practice that prevents the spread of germs in the child-care setting is good hand washing by caregivers and children.
• Rubbing hands together under running water is the most important part of washing away infectious germs. Deficiencies in hand washing, including sharing basins of water, have contributed to many outbreaks of diarrhea among children and caregivers in child-care centers.
• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends these hand washing steps:
• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap
• Rub your hands together to make lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds (tip: hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
• Rinse your hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.
• Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet.
• The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers does not substitute for hand washing in the group care setting. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are flammable and toxic if ingested by children.
#1: FOUR WAYS TO SPREAD GERMS
Communicable diseases are spread from person-to-person in four basic ways:
1. Airborne or the respiratory route
These germs are spread when infected droplets from the nose, mouth, sinuses, throat, lungs or contaminated tissues or fabric are inhaled when we breathe.
Examples of the Airborne Route of infection are: TB, Colds, Chicken pox
2. Direct contact route
This type of germ contact occurs by directly touching an infected area or body fluid such as saliva, mucus, eye discharge, pus or spit.
Examples of Direct Contact route are: Conjunctivitis, impetigo, lice, poison ivy, chicken pox
3. Fecal-oral route
These germs enter the body from hands, food, mouthed toys, toilet, diapers, etc., that have been unintentionally infected with germs from stool.
Examples of