Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Kathie Williams is a registered nurse and the Director of Family and Immunity Health at Edventure, and every day she's exposed to a number of germs.
It takes the help of the entire staff to keep the facility clean.
"You would see that it takes a number of people pretty much their whole job time just keeping these surfaces clean, anything that the kids can put in there mouth and its washable, they're washed in hot water at the end of everyday. So there are rules here because we have a lot of different people coming in,' said Williams.
And now since school is starting back, this is the time where the most germs are spread.
"So when you get in a new class, new place, with a new teacher you're going to come up against new germs that maybe your immune system has never tackled," said Williams.
For teachers, she says that it's important to maintain a clean and healthy environment.
"It's not a bad idea to get the kids involved with cleaning the desk surfaces at least once a week."
She says one of the ways to maintain a healthy environment is not throw away used tissue.
"One use kind of tissues that you then throw away immediately into the trash. You don't ball them up and reuse them in your pocket later on," said Williams.
"Hand sanitizers' are a good idea. They are more of a stop-gap measure. Eventually you need to remember that you need to wash those hands with warm water and soap for at least long enough to sing happy birthday to yourself twice because that way you will get all of the germs", said Williams.
She also say's parents should keep an eye out for any changes in their child's health.
"Any vomiting fever or redness in the eyes. Any of those signs that most mothers know when they see them, keep that child home, because they maybe incubating something and you do not want to pass it around the class." said Williams.
