How to Help Prevent the Spread of the COVID-19 Virus This Back-to-School Season
While some students are heading back to school virtually, others are looking for ways to stay safer while physically attending class. Here are a few coronavirus prevention tips to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus if you’re planning to send your child back to school.
Preparing for School and the Classroom
- Discuss the importance of hand hygiene and properly washing hands frequently when outside of the home.
- Label personal belongings and keep them in a cubbie or container in the classroom.
- Prepare face masks to be worn throughout the day while indoors.
- Avoid sharing supplies and electronics with other students and teachers. If you must share items make sure they’re disinfected before each use.
- Keep your child at home if someone in your family recently had close contact with a person with the COVID-19 virus or are experiencing any symptoms such as a fever or cough.
- Make sure schools are cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched items often.
- Ensure that school has a game plan regarding how to handle viral outbreaks and separating sick children.
Important Things to Keep in Mind
- Wear face masks whenever inside of the classroom to prevent the spread of germs.
- Properly wash your hands when outside of your home.
- Clean and disinfect any school supplies shared with other students and teachers.
Returning Home from School
- Remove shoes and leave them outside to minimize the transfer of germs into the home.
- Remove any clothes worn outside the home and put them in a lined hamper, laundry bag or a closed trash bag upon returning home.
- Properly wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Disinfect high-touch surfaces used as you enter including keys, door handles and light switches.
- Wash and dry clothes and washable face masks separately at a higher temperature (100–125°F) for at least 30 minutes.
Prevent the Spread of Germs at Home
- Avoid placing school bags on common surfaces and wash lunch containers immediately upon return.
- Consider keeping school items in a closed storage bin or separate them from other household items to avoid transfer of outside germs and viruses throughout the home.
- Create a designated homework area to keep school books and other outside materials contained.
- After handling any school items, be sure to have the kids properly wash their hands and disinfect the household area where used.
- Disinfect highly touched areas in home regularly and often to prevent the spread of germs and viruses.
