Tag Archives: cold

NHS Lothian have seen a large number of respiratory outbreaks in nurseries and schools in the past few weeks. These have caused service disruption with staff shortages and many pupils being absent from school/nursery.

Parents can try to stop these respiratory viruses spreading at home – please read the following advice;

Key advice for parents and carers

In the home the risk of catching or spreading flu/cold like illness can be reduced by:

• Regular hand washing with liquid soap and running water
• Covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
• Using a disposable paper tissue, disposed off immediately after use
• You can teach your child to sneeze into the ‘crook’ of their arm rather than their hands, if they don’t have a tissue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQINuSTP1jI
• Good general cleaning of surface that everyone touches often e.g. TV remote, light switches, door handles, toilet flushes and tap heads
• https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/common-cold
• https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/flu

Children should not return to school until completely well and 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.