A number of diseases are making the rounds at Kimball Elementary School this season. Some say it?s because our winter wasn?t cold enough to kill the nasty bugs that cause them. (This past weekend should have taken care of that.) Pinkeye, Strep throat and fifth disease have stricken many students. That?s in addition to the usual sniffles, colds and flu. One case of scarlet fever was reported by a parent, and the student kept out of school. (More on these diseases below.) Kids get sick every year. And when one gets sick and goes to school, lots get sick. This year may be especially bad. The twist this year, though, is that the school nurse is pregnant, and fifth disease (related to measles) can cause problems with pregnancy. So the school nurse, who splits her time between the elementary and high school anyway, is pretty much stuck over at the high school. ?If there?s an emergency or an accident, of course she comes over,? explained elementary principal Jon Clark. ?We just keep her out of the general population.? The nurse, LuRae Nelson, is still working the same hours. She?s available by phone to the elementary for the routine things, and can be at the elementary in minutes if a student there gets injured. Clark explained that it?s not the ideal situation, but that has worked out. ?Fortunately, we didn?t have a situation where a teacher was pregnant,? he added. In such a case, teacher re-assignments would need to be made, and that would be more complicated. Meanwhile, if your elementary-age student has a fever or feels ill, please check with your doctor before sending your child to school ? regardless of which school he or she attends. Pinkeye ?Pinkeye? is the common term for conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the mucous membrane (conjunctiva) of the eye. Symptoms include redness of the eye; swollen, red eyelids; more tearing than usual; feeling like there?s something in the eye; itching or burning feeling; mild sensitivity to light; or drainage from the eye. Pinkeye is very common. Most cases are viral, not bacterial, and don?t respond to antibiotics. It usually is not serious and goes away in 7-10 days without medical treatment. Pinkeye is very contagious, being passed from hand to hand. Everyone inadvertently touches their eyes throughout the day. Frequent hand-washing and keeping ?infected? children away from others will help curb the contagion. Strep throat Strep throat is an infection of the back of the throat by Streptococcus bacteria. There are different strains of the infection. Symptoms include sudden onset of a sore throat without other cold symptoms (coughing, sneezing); pain or difficulty swallowing; Fever above 101 degrees; swollen lymph nodes in the neck; white or yellow spots or coating on the throat and tonsils; bright red throat, or dark red spots on the roof of the mouth near the throat; and swollen tonsils. Strep throat is contagious. Frequent hand-washing, and avoiding contact with those who have it, can help prevent it. A throat swab can confirm strep infection, and antibiotics can treat it. If you have some of the symptoms above, you should call your doctor. Scarlet fever Scarlet fever is, simply, strep throat with a rash. A doctor can diagnose (and treat) scarlet fever. Fifth disease This oddly-named disease is in the same family as measles and chicken pox (the story is that they simply ran out of names by the fifth one in this family, hence fifth disease). It is a contagious, viral illness that is also known as ?slapped cheek disease? because of the distinctive rash that some people develop on the face. Fifth disease is spread mostly by coughs and sneezes. It starts with flu-like symptoms and usually develops into a rash, at which point it?s no longer contagious. Incubation time is 4-20 days before symptoms develop. Early symptoms include: runny nose and sore throat, headache, abdominal pain, mild fever only rarely, weakness and joint pain. A distinctive rash appears about 7 days later, often beginning on the face. The rash can re-appear after exposure to sunlight, heat or stress, and this does not mean it?s getting worse. Treatment with antibiotics won?t help because fifth disease is caused by a virus. Normally, home treatment with rest, drinking fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers is sufficient. People with fifth disease should be careful not to spread the disease. Once the rash is gone, so is the risk of passing on fifth disease. Fifth disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women, people with impaired immune systems, and with certain other risk factors. Is it a cold, or flu? Both the common cold and the flu are respiratory illnesses, caused by different viruses. They have similar symptoms, so it can be hard to tell them apart. A cold virus usually infects the upper respiratory tract: your nose and throat. The flu virus infects your whole respiratory system: nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and sometimes lungs. Note that what we often call ?stomach flu? or ?intestinal flu? is not really the flu. It is another viral infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Both cold and flu viruses are spread through sneezes and coughs. It?s very easy to pick up the virus from hands, doorknobs, papers, anything that?s been near a coughing or sneezing person. Symptoms of flu include fever, fatigue, aches, pains, chills and cough (usually not coughing up anything, just coughing). Often, by the time you have symptoms, you?ve already been contagious for awhile. Stay at home if you have the flu ? you?ll recover quicker, and you won?t continue to infect others. There is no ?cure? for the flu, but some things can relieve some of the symptoms. Decongestants and other over-the-counter cold and flu medicines can help. Drinking lots of fluids is essential, although anything with caffeine should be avoided. Antibiotics only work on bacteria, not viruses, so taking antibiotics won?t do anything for a cold or flu. Prevention is critical. Wash your hands frequently, or use an alcohol-based gel cleaner. Use a tissue when you cough or sneeze; and wash your hands afterward. Turn your head away from others when you cough. Sneeze into your arm instead of your hand if you don?t have a tissue handy. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth ? that?s how those viruses infect you. Clean any shared surfaces (like phones and keyboards) frequently; viruses can live on these surfaces for several hours. Avoid crowds and hand-shaking during cold and flu season.
