Why are we hung up on handwashing and the Happy Birthday Song


Children are exposed to germs that cause a number of illnesses when they are in crowded areas like school where they’d be sharing or holding the same infected things and surfaces.

It’s also inevitable when a student would accidentally sneeze right after your kid. We can’t always shield our children from the possible sources of infection. But we can always do something about it. We can tell them to observe simple rules of cleanliness.

Like my kids, I let them bring a small container of alcohol or a hand sanitizer just in case there is no water in school to wash their hands before and after snack and lunch time. Aside from their hanky, I also put some tissue papers inside their bags.

And I remind them without fail to drink plenty of water while in school not just to quench their thirst or replenish lost body fluids due to excessive sweating caused by physical activity, but also to flush out toxins in their young body.

DOH preventive measures

The DOH issued a guideline for school administrators to prevent and control the potential spread of the Influenza A(H1N1) in schools.

The Guideline, which can be accessed at the DOH Website, outlines the steps and preventive measures that include:

* educating students on Influenza AH1N1
* promoting handwashing
*
proper cough etiquette and good hygiene among students
* ensuring the availability of facilities for hand hygiene and sanitation
* organizing infection control teams
* and reporting of increasing incidence of influenza-like illness among students, faculty and non-teaching staff.

What is the proper way to wash you hands?

Rub your hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces: Lather up on both sides of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, and around your nails. Wash for 15 seconds — about how long it takes to sing “Happy Birthday.”

9 thoughts on “Why are we hung up on handwashing and the Happy Birthday Song

  1. lemuel

    very useful tips for school kids. i think information dissemination is not a problem for private schools but for public schools it is a challenge. my previous work, in an NGO project, i was assigned to visit public schools in malabon, navotas and valenzuela. students range from 60-90 per classroom and are cramped in a small room. a number of students i think don’t even have the luxury to take a bath before going to school, much more wash their hands before and after eating. it is a reality in a lot of public schools in metro manila

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  2. kaka

    i am informed well through this post, thanks to you. as a mom, i am quite worried with the increasing number of A(H1NI)-infected filipinos. i do share your sentiments on making it a habit to wash our hands now and then and doing the right thing when coughing. i tell everyone at home to do just right that before talking or holding my baby. i still believe the old saying “prevention is better than cure.”

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  3. Pingback: Litratong Pinoy: Proteksyon (surgical mask) | Mom Writes for a Cause

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