Because of the close contact necessitated by instruction, schools are akin to Petri dishes of various conditions. Colds, lice, strep throat, pink eye and a host of contagious conditions quickly can pass from child to child or child to adult, creating a mini-epidemic in short order.
It’s a problem that manifests in any close-quarters grouping, from nursing homes to day care centers to athletic locker rooms, gyms and army barracks. But because children may not be as conscientious about sharing personal items or covering their mouth when sneezing, germs seem to spread more quickly in school than elsewhere.
While the outbreaks of typical schoolhouse diseases are not usually cause for panic, they can create issues of lost school time and lagging concentration. Thus, it is imperative to make sure that everyone understands the rules of good hygiene, such as always washing hands, and to make sure everyone attending school is properly vaccinated for the major childhood diseases, including measles, mumps and whooping cough.
For children and their maturing immune systems, schools are often the primary means of acquiring diseases. Bacteria and viruses are easily passed in the close quarters of classrooms, school buses and lunch rooms. Children also acquire problems like lice or scabies by sharing clothing or by being in close personal contact with someone who is infected.