Staying healthy in school means practicing good hygiene, immunizations, and staying home when sick

AUGUSTA, Ga. () – As students across the CSRA head back to school, parents may want to prepare their children to be their best health selves.

As parents and students begin to ring in a new school year, those closely seated desks and lunchroom tables can bring on the trips to the nurse’s office.

“It’s usually an adenovirus because an adenovirus is what causes an upset stomach, it will give you a cough, soar throat, red eyes. It just covers a lot of symptoms and I usually tell parents that’s usually what it is,” said Doctors Hospital Chair of Pediatrics, Dr. Carol Thompson Tarver.

She said her office sees kids with these symptoms within the first few weeks of returning to school. And she added a simple nose swab can detect whether its adenovirus, the flu or COVID. But she explained there are a few things parents can do to prepare their children for a safe return.

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“I usually suggest to the parents that the children always wash their hands,” she said. “The ones that are old enough and are going to the lunch room, that they should always have a bathroom break or they should ask the teacher, do they have a bathroom break so they can wash their hands before they go to the lunchroom. Also suggest that if it’s allowed in school, have a small hand sanitizer attached to the bookbag.”

Dr. Thompson Tarver said parents should also consider the COVID vaccine and other shots needed for school. Georgia Department of Public Health is calling on parents to update vaccines for rising 7th and 11th graders. And Back to School Screenings are available now too.

“The last immunizations that they get at 4 years old is the DTAP, the polio, the measles mumps and rubella and the chicken pox vaccine. So, we certainly want them to have that before school starts,” Dr. Thompson Tarver said. “Then the 11 year olds get a tetanus booster and then they’re getting the meningitis vaccine as well.”

Good hygiene helps too, such as hand washing. And Dr. Thompson Tarver warns that parents should keep sick kids home.