Uh...Oh...Winter is Coming...

In this blog we will be exploring some of the most common winter germs and how you can protect your family and staff in the best way possible.

The dreaded Common Cold

It is a nasty viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose. Symptoms may include a cough, runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat and sometimes muscle ache, fatigue and headache. It is contagious for up to 5 days and there is about a 99% chance that your child will get the cold sometime in the year.

When to see a doctor:

* You have a fever greater than 38.5°

* A fever that lasts 5 days or more

* Shortness of breath

* Wheezing

* Severe sore throat, sinus pain and headache

* If your child experiences ear pain, unusual drowsiness, extreme fussiness or lack of appetite

What can you do?

* Practice good hygiene, ensure that you and your children wash your hands often

* Disinfect as often as possible

* Use tissues and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough

* Don't share any utensils, toys, stationary, drinking glasses, etc with any person that is sick

Did you know?

The cold virus can live on toys, door handles, walls and many other surfaces for up to 2 days. It is therefore important to consider a service such as Sprinkle Spray to help limit cross infection as our system effortlessly reaches all areas and surfaces.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

It is a virus that cause infections in the lungs and respiratory tract. Symptoms include a congested or runny nose, dry cough, low-grade fever, sore throat and mild headache. Infants are most severely affected by RSV and their symptoms can include short, shallow, rapid breathing, cough, unusual tiredness, irritability and poor feeding. It is contagious 4-6 days from the incubation period and 3-8 days thereafter.

When to see a doctor:

* You or your child has difficulty breathing

* A high fever

* A blue color to the skin, particularly on the lips and nails

What can you do?

* Wash your hands fequently

* Wash toys regularly

* Limit you or your child's exposure to any infected person

* Discard used tissues and keep your home as clean as possible

Viral Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu)

It is an intestinal infection and symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea or vomiting and sometimes fever. It is extremely contagious and symptoms can last up to 10 days. Causes include Rotavirus and Noroviruses.

When to see a doctor:

* You are not able to keep liquids down for 24

hours

* You have been vomiting for more than 2

days

* You are vomiting blood

* You are dehydrated

* You have a fever above 40°

* You notice blood in your bowel movements

What can you do?

* Get your child vaccinated against Rotavirus

* Wash your hands thoroughly

* Use separate towels in the bathroom

* Avoid close contact with anyone that has the virus

* Regularly disinfect hard surfaces with our Sprinkle Spray disinfectant products

* Use the Sprinkle Spray weekly disinfecting program at your home, office, school, gym, etc.

Roseola

It is a generally mild infection that usually affects children by age 2 and occasionally affects adults. Two common strains of the herpes virus cause Roseola. Symptoms include a sudden fever and then a rash. Some children may have a sore throat, runny nose or cough along with or preceding the fever. The fever can last for between 3 and 5 days. Once the fever subsides a rash typically appears that consists of small pink spots or patches with a white ring around some of the spots. The rash can last from several hours to several days.

When to see a doctor:

* If you child has a fever greater than 39.4°

* You child has Roseola and the fever lasts more than 7 days

* The rash does not improve after 3 days

What can you do?

* Avoid exposing your child to any infected child

* Practice good hygiene

* Have your child's school disinfected weekly by Sprinkle Spray

**Sources: www.mayoclinic.org; www.wikipedia.com