 |
The Germiest Spot
A recent study reveals, The Germiest Hot Spots in
Schools...
In the cafeteria, the
biggest threat may not be the kid that wants to eat your French fries or
what is truly inside a hotdog. A recent study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba
and the University of Arizona in a K-12 school system found that the
germiest place at school is the cafeteria table.
Researchers from the University of Arizona swabbed
classrooms and common area surfaces at six schools in a K-12 school system
to determine the relative numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria and
coliform bacteria on frequently touched hard, non-porous surfaces.
In addition to the cafeteria table, the most contaminated
sites include:
- Computer mouse, which harbored nearly twice as many
bacteria than desktops,
- Restroom paper towel handle
- Drinking fountain
- Bathroom sink faucets
- Library table and computer keyboard
|
|
Of the top eight most contaminated surfaces out of twelve
sampled in the schools, six were in common areas demonstrating the need for
a joint prevention effort among teachers, students and other school
personnel.
Each day, about 55 million students and 7 million staff
attend the more than 130,000 public and private schools in the United
States(1) – in fact, more than seven in 10 children (38 million) of
school-aged children (aged 5-17 years) in the United States missed school in
the past 12 months due to illness or injury(2).
"Some bacteria, are capable of causing infections and tend
to collect on frequently touched surfaces – particularly in areas where
there is a lot of hand-to-mouth contact like the cafeteria table," explains
Dra. Aliza Lifshitz, internist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and editor of
VidaySalud.com. "To help your children minimize the spread of germs,
encourage them to wash their hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand
rub, especially when sharing school supplies or taking turns using the
computer."
The following suggestions can help to keep a
cleaner classroom:
Disinfect hot spots: Even if a classroom starts out
clean, germs can – and do – build up all day. In fact, evidence of Influenza
A virus was found on 13.6% of swabbed surfaces in the morning and jumped to
about 50% by the afternoon. That's why teachers should implement a
routine of frequently disinfecting germ hot spots in the classroom, like
desktops and doorknobs, with disinfecting wipes, as directed. This can help
supplement what the custodian is already doing.
- Arm them with the right tools: Parents should
consider bringing teachers hand sanitizer or canisters to help make
clean-up easier.
- Avoid Touching Surfaces in the Bathroom: Parents
should teach kids to use paper towels to press the flush lever on the
toilet and when turning water faucets on and off. If there are lids on
the toilets, kids should learn to put them down before flushing.
- Walk the walk at home: children may be bringing more
than just homework home to their families. That's why it is important
for parents to adopt the same routines at home, such as wiping down
frequently-touched surfaces like the remote control, countertops, phones
and light switches.
|
