How to beat back to school bugs

Young people are more susceptible to germs because their immune systems aren’t as mature as adults. In fact, 80% of infectious diseases are spread by touch. So sharing books, desks and devices when kids go back to school may mean your children are more at risk of being susceptible to bugs that could make them ill.

So, as primary and secondary school classrooms across the country return, we have rounded up some simple tips to protect kids of every age, with suggestions on products to best help you safeguard your children. Stay strong and healthy

Simple tips to keep your kids strong and healthy:

NUTRITION: Boost the immune system by improving nutrition. Five portions of fruit and vegetables each day helps fight off nasty organisms, so snacks like cherry tomatoes, grapes or carrot sticks are better than crisps and chocolate. Consider probiotics too, as boosting good bacteria through a drink or yoghurt can toughen your kid’s immune system.

VITAMINS: Rather than pop a pill each morning ensure your kids get vitamins via their food. The sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D, boosts immune systems, so be sure to include vitamin D-rich foods like eggs, mushrooms, salmon and canned tuna at mealtimes when you can.

SLEEP: To get at least seven hours a night is key as sleep lets the body repair and rejuvenate. Sleep also produces proteins that fight infections and reduce the risk of injury. Parents can make the run up to bedtime easier with ASUS laptops, which have quick and quiet power down and offer up to 70% less harmful blue light compared with other brands. This is known to help better regulate sleep.

EXERCISE: All day movement is vital. To keep kids motivated, make exercise fun. The more enjoyable the activity, the more likely they are to stick with it. Exercise helps with concentration, energy, stress management and sleep too, so it really should be a vital part of your plan to prevent illness, not just for your kids’ physical and mental wellbeing.

STRESS: While some worries are natural for most kids, particularly if they are exam-cramming, encouraging your children to talk about what’s upsetting them and to prepare ahead of time can help reduce stress. Soothing music can also help. There are a number of anti-anxiety and stop-stress apps that many parents can recommend their kids download.

Antibacterial guards on electronic devices

A typical mobile handset and PC keyboard has approximately 20,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, which is seriously grim. Although it’s wise to regularly disinfect phones, tablets, and PCs/Macs with antibacterial wipes, the majority of people rarely clean their devices. That means potentially harmful microbes attached to surfaces are spread with every touch.

Given most teens have a smartphone, tablet, laptop or other personal electronic device before the age of 12, they are holding in their hand the perfect place for germs to incubate. Thankfully, anti-bacterial cases and screen protectors are now available, offering peace of mind when it comes to protecting your kids from back to school bugs.

But parents can easily banish bugs and push off pathogens using antibacterial technology like that on ASUS laptops. ASUS Antibacterial Guard is just one example of bacteria-busting tech designed with young people in mind, as it can withstand a wipe down to remove greasy pizza marks with cleansing agents that won’t damage the Guard’s protective properties.

ASUS Antibacterial Guard is a silver ion coating inhibiting 99% of bacteria across the most frequently touched parts of its laptop surfaces. Upon contact, the silver ions and negatively-charged microbial cells are attracted to each other, offering targeted protection as the attraction causes the ions to pierce through the surfaces of bacterial cells and damage their structure, impairing their ability to develop and spawn. The silver ions disrupt the cells and damage their structure, preventing cell reproduction.

How to further stop the spread

Illnesses like colds and viruses often spread like wildfire because they are transmitted through touching shared objects and communal surfaces. For maximum protection, post-Covid, continue to sanitize and regularly wash hands.

 Alcohol-based rub or washing hands with soap and water is the best way. We love Scrubbingtons’ bug-off as it is alcohol-free and kills 99.9% of bacteria, plus it is moisturising to stop small hands drying out and is not tested on animals.

When washing hands, make sure young ones run their hands under the water for at least 20 seconds and rub, scrub and interlink fingers, paying close attention to fingertips.

Encourage kids to wash before eating, after using the loo and any time they have been in contact with someone who is sick, to keep them as bug-free as possible.

It’s a good idea to also continue wearing a face mask in crowded areas – like school hallways or on public transport. Kids should always have a clean mask in their school bag. Etsy has a whole section dedicated to funny and quirky kids masks so your little ones can find the right design for them.

Keep on top of vaccinations and immunisations

All youngsters should already be up to date with their routine childhood immunisations, from infant to school age. But keeping the entire family vaccinated is an invaluable way to protect teens and younger children this autumn. Children aged five and over are eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot, so consider this for them and for yourself.

Talk to your child about it and give them the opportunity to express their feelings as this can reduce stress and anxiety. Breathing techniques are useful, and validation and reassurance work wonders, especially with young children. If you show them you are not afraid, that also helps them feel more comfortable and confident in getting their shots.

To share or not to share?

When it comes to beating pathogens in public spaces, sometimes sharing is not caring. While it is usually good to encourage kids to share, it is also advised to discourage your youngsters from sharing things like drinks, food, cosmetics such as lip balm and lipstick, calculators and their electronic devices.