Schools could see spike in common illnesses during first few weeks of semester
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As kids prepare to head back to classrooms, sickness could spike.
MU Health doctor, Chris Wilhelm, told ABC 17 that when a lot of kids are in the same classroom, they can pass diseases and viruses to each other.
Wilhelm says it is common for children to develop symptoms within the first and second week of school.
"As the schools are returning, I'm sure we'll see some people who are infected with COVID as well, this year. Fortunately, it seems that the variant is as mild, much more milder symptoms. But, usually it's just the common cold that we see," said Wilhelm.
Wilhelm suggests that parents teach their children not to share drinks with other students and teaching good hand washing practices.
College-aged kids are also susceptible to this as they live in dorms and apartments close to each other, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Well, the illness that we're actually really worried about that with college students is meningitis, because that can spread has been known to spread to college dorms as well as military barracks," said Wilhelm.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, around 10 to 14 percent of infected individuals die from the disease.
Wilhelm says the best way to prevent meningitis is to get the vaccine prior to going to college.
Common back-to-school illnesses include:
- Common Cold
- Flu
- Strep Throat
- Sinus and ear infections
Some ways you can stay healthy during back to school according to Nebraska Medicine:
- Quality sleep
- Exercise
- Lower screen time
- Healthy eating
- Up to date on immunizations
- Washing hands
- Consider wearing a mask in school
This is a developing story
