Nurse? Ally? Same difference.
Whether you’re fighting the good fight within the walls of your school or at the pediatrician’s office, the bug is always looking for new recruits. It’s where it grows, multiplies and attacks with reckless abandon. This type of all-out bombardment might make some weary, but you’ve held strong. And, the good news is using Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissues will give you the reinforcements you need to continue the fight.
They may not look like much, but these tissues pack quite a punch. Hiding between the oh-so-soft plies is a blue-dotted, moisture-activated layer. When the bug hits that, it’s over within 15 minutes.*
With nearly 100 million patients treated for the common cold each year, it just makes sense to kill the bug inside the tissue. So when you’re stocking nose tissue, make sure it’s the one that battles the bug, Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissues.
How to Battle the Bug.
School nurses are on the frontline of the battle of the bug. Here’s some helpful information to share with teachers and parents:
- The common cold results in 22 million lost school days per year.
- Back to school is the best time for you to communicate with children and parents about how to minimize the risk of getting the cold and flu bug.
- Runny noses are easily spread among children in school.
- Reducing the spread of viruses in the classroom and the hallways of school is the best way to keep kids from getting sick.
- The Center for Disease Control recommends facial tissues as one of the key strategies to minimize cold and flu viruses.
- Every year, the U.S. alone reports more than one billion colds and 25–50 million flu cases.
- Eight in ten of your peers who are familiar with Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissues would recommend the product to parents or teachers.
- Students are exposed to cold and flu viruses all year round. Which is why it’s important to battle the bug with Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissues all school year.
Tips From Our Resident Expert, Jean Grabeel, R.N.
As a mother of two and health coordinator responsible for 24,000 students, I know just how important parents are in the fight against illness and the promotion of health and wellness. Most people are not aware that cold and flu season occurs year round — not just during the winter. I’ve teamed up with the folks at Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissue to help educate moms and kids on staying cold and flu-free.
When asked what I do to keep my family cold and flu-free, I have several “pearls of wisdom” that I like to share:
- Wash Hands Often: Especially before eating, after using the restroom, and after playing outside. I like to teach the “Happy Birthday” method. Sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing your hands with soap and water. This will take you 15–20 seconds which is the recommended amount of time to get your hands clean.
- Use Facial Tissues When You Sneeze: The Center for Disease Control encourages using facial tissues when you sneeze, cough or blow your nose to minimize cold and flu viruses. However, these viruses can live up to 24 hours on regular tissues so using something like Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissue which is the only tissue that’s specifically designed to kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses* in the tissue in the tissue within 15 minutes, including the pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus* (formerly called swine flu), is a good flu fighting option. They even have these little blue dots to distinguish them from regular ones. This is great for moms who are constantly picking up family members’ used tissues.
- Get Plenty of Rest: Parents should start to get back in the “school routine” practice of having their children get to bed earlier so they have plenty of sleep. Two weeks before the first day of school, get your kids on their typical school sleep schedule (early to bed, early to rise).
- Stay Hydrated: I also encourage moms and kids to get plenty of rest and drink adequate fluids — this is effective in helping to boost your immune system.
- Eat Breakfast: Healthy kids are better learners and eating a nutritious breakfast with fiber will improve concentration in the classroom.
- Don’t Come to School Sick: A national Kleenex® Anti-Viral* Tissue survey revealed that 86% of moms agree that their child has gotten sick at school due to their “under the weather” classmates. With this in mind, I ask moms to please keep kids home when they’ve come down with the cold and flu — that way they are not spreading bugs to others.
More About Jean Grabeel, R.N.
Jean Grabeel is a school nurse and health administrator with nearly 30 years of experience in the healthcare field. Since receiving her certification in nursing, Jean has held a variety of nursing positions, including staff nurse at St. John’s Regional Health Center, camp nurse and school health nurse for elementary, middle and high school students. In addition to her experiences as a school nurse, Jean has also held the position of Coordinator for Health Services for the Springfield Missouri public schools since 1992. Her work throughout the healthcare community has gained Jean much recognition and the honor of receiving several awards, including the notable Florence Nightingale Award and the American Red Cross’ “Everyday Heroes” honor.
Activities & Resources
Battle the bug by downloading and printing the PDFs below. Hang the posters in your office and around school to remind teachers and students to battle the bug too.
***Survey methodology: The survey findings were generated via an online Zoomerang survey of 1,082 school nurses, fielded by the Ketchum Global Research Network between the dates of March 30 – April 13, 2009. Responses yielded through SchoolNurse.com.
FACT: The cold & flu bug lives all year long.
