Its that time of the year again when we are presented with the dreaded head cold and coughs in children.  As you are aware most coughs and colds in children are caused by viral infections.  Cold viruses are spread easily through droplets from the nose and mouth of infected people. We are seeing more children at school with runny nose, sore throat, temps, coughs and headaches.   If your child is unwell, keep them at home to rest and recover. This way their immune system can fight the virus and stop the spread. 

We will continue to encourage washing hands and hand sanitizing regularly. 

We understand this is inevitable that children, adults and elderly may get sick with coughs and colds but there are things you can do to reduce the chance of your kids getting sick. These include:

• hand washing often, especially after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
• coughing or sneezing into your elbow
• avoiding sharing utensils and cups with others
• using tissues instead of hankies and throwing them out straight away after use

Some children continue to cough for many weeks after a cold — this is known as a post-viral cough. If your child has a cough but is otherwise well, check with your doctor if they can attend school.

(information from Health Direct website www.healthdirect.gov.au )