Battling Back to School Bugs

Believe it or not, a new school year is just around the corner, and that means the start of flu season and lots of other viruses being spread around. And since many viruses can’t be treated with antibiotics, prevention is your best line of defense. If you want to avoid using your health insurance more than absolutely necessary, consider some of these tips for staying healthy this year.

• Washing hands. It may seem like common sense, but chances are, your kids aren’t doing it frequently enough. Wash after using the restroom, before and after eating, blowing your nose, playing outside, etc.
• Always have hand sanitizer available. When it’s not convenient to get to a sink, use hand sanitizer instead. Hand sanitizer is extremely effective and you can slip a travel-sized bottle in your children’s backpacks so that they have it available whenever they need it.
• Cover up. When coughing or sneezing, make sure you and your kids are covering your mouths and noses. And after you cover up, wash up!
• Don’t share. This goes against what we typically teach our children, but swapping everything from treats in lunches to markers and pencils means germs are being passed much more freely than they should be.
• Avoid others who are sick and stay home when you’re sick. There’s nothing more frustrating than sending your healthy child to school when other parents send their sick kids, but advise your kids to keep their distance from other sick children and keep them home when they’re ill.

While some illnesses may be inevitable once school starts back up, there are things you can do to keep them to a minimum. What are some other ways to keep the germs at bay? Share your suggestions in the comments below! And for more information on Verlinde Insurance, contact us today.