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Entry bubble MRSA: It Can Happen Here

By: Joanne | January 15, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I pulled the letter from my daughter’s backpack after school one day. It was from the school superintendent and informed parents that there have been 3 recent cases of MRSA in our school district. MRSA, aka, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus is the antibiotic resistant staph infection.

My reaction? Level 4 biohazard! Do they make hazmat suits in children’s sizes? Pull her out of school! Decontaminate my home every night? Should I lock her in a bubble and never let her enter the germ factories that we call elementary schools, hospitals and let’s face it, any other public place?

biohazard symbol

What’s a mom to do? I want to protect my kids, but dirt, viruses, and bacteria are all part of life here on planet Earth. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has the answers for me – their page about MRSA In Schools has all I need to know.

The CDC says the same stuff that the letter from school did – cover wounds, wash your hands, and don’t share clothing or towels that come into contact with your skin. OK, so maybe this doesn’t have to be so crazy after all. I’ll make sure that we’re well supplied with hello kitty Band-Aids and encourage the kids to wash their hands frequently. I come from a long line of women who wash their hands to an almost obsessive-compulsive degree, so I can totally get into the clean hands thing.

Lastly I’ll say that if you have to use antibiotics, use them as directed to help ensure their effectiveness, and have you washed your hands lately?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: antibiotic   infection   joanne   mrsa   resistant   school   staph  

Comments (4):

blue comment bubble Posted by concern in mi on January 17, 2008 at 02:37 PM EST

well i am concern about hotels and hospitals they are not as clean as they use to be and i believe this has caused the spread of these types of disease i stayed at a local hospital and my skin broke out if this kinds of place are not policed better especially city ran hospitals we will see more of this kind of problems

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on January 17, 2008 at 02:46 PM EST

I share your concern about hotels and hospitals. I remember having to take my husband to the emergency room and my 18 month old kept trying to put her hands on the floor. Yikes! Luckily it didn't kill her, and hopefully it made her stronger : ) If you're in a healthcare setting, don't be afraid to (politely) remind the doctor or nurse to wash their hands before examining you.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Citizen Jmaximus on January 18, 2008 at 07:23 AM EST

Buy her some of those Clorox wipes. Have her wipe down her desk and seat from class to class. She can also use them to sanitize her hands before lunch.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on January 18, 2008 at 09:22 AM EST

Citizen Jmaximus,
Not a bad idea - I think I'll toss a bottle of hand sanitizer in her backpack for good measure!

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