A Lesson on Stopping Colds Cold

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
THIS TIME OF YEAR...KIDS AND COLDS GO HAND IN HAND...WITH CHILDREN AVERAGING 6 TO 10 COLDS EACH YEAR...ACCOUNTING FOR 22 MILLION LOST CLASS DAYS. HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUR KIDS SNIFFLE FREE?
__________HAS A HEADS UP ON SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP YOU STOP COLDS COLD WHEN YOUR KIDS HEAD OFF TO SCHOOL.

TRACK ONE Length: 05
SIXTH GRADER TIMMY HATES GETTING SICK... AND HE KNOWS AT LEAST ONE PLACE GERMS THAT CAUSE COLDS MAY BE LURKING.

SOT
KEY @: 06 Timmy Sheehan, 6th Grader
"I think classrooms are very dirty. Everybody touches everything. "

TRACK TWO Length: 05
THE EXPERTS AGREE AND SAY SCHOOLS CAN LITERALLY BE BREEDING GROUNDS FOR BACTERIA...

SOT
KEY @: 19 Cynthia Haines, MD, Web MD
"Larger groups of children together in smaller confined spaces, probably not the best ventilated. And these kids are also sharing a lot of things - toys, and school supplies and thus sharing germs."

TRACK THREE Length: 08
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD? WE'VE HEARD IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN BUT IT'S THE NUMBER ONE TIP:
FREQUENT HAND WASHING...WITH WARM WATER.

SOT
Length: 08(Cynthia Haines, MD, Web MD)
"Scrub their hands together with a good lather for at least 20 seconds or so. Or about the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice."

NAT SOT
Length: 02
(Kids singing Happy Birthday while washing hands)

TRACK FOUR Length: 07
NEXT- TRY TEACHING YOUR KIDS *NOT* TO SHARE... ESPECIALLY THINGS LIKE CRAYONS, PENCILS, AND COMMUNITY SUPPLIES.

SOT
Length: 10(Cynthia Haines, MD, Web MD )
"One the dirtiest, germiest places in the classroom is the shared pencil sharpener. Another tip for parents is to send their children to school with mechanical pencils."

TRACK FIVE Length: 02
AND BACKPACKS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ON THE FLOOR.

SOT
KEY @: 1:06 Cynthia Haines, MD, Web MD
"...especially when they're in a restroom. Bathroom floors, especially, are breeding grounds for a lot of nasty bacteria."

TRACK SIX Length: 07
AND FINALLY - ASK TEACHERS HOW OFTEN THEY DISINFECT...WIPING DOWN KEYBOARDS, MOUSES, TOYS, AND DOORKNOBS.

SOT
KEY @: 1:18 Cynthia Haines, MD, Web MD
If teachers are regularly wiping them down with disinfectant wipes, studies have shown that these bacteria levels can be reduced up to 99 percent."

TRACK SEVEN Length: 04
TIMMY'S MOTHER IS ALSO A TEACHER... AND SAYS SHE DOES HER BEST TO KEEP HER CLASSROOM CLEAN.

SOT
KEY @: 1:30 Heather Mailloux, Teacher and Timmy's mom
"We encourage students to use the anti-bacterial soap often so we can hopefully minimize the amount of germs."

TRACK EIGHT Length: 08
WHILE EXPERTS SAY IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO CREATE A COMPLETELY GERM FREE ENVIRONMENT...THESE SMALL STEPS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

ANCHOR TAG:
Source: Web MD
ANOTHER TIP - ASK IF YOUR SCHOOL CAN PURCHASE HEPA AIR FILTERS...WHICH, EXPERTS SAY, CAN REMOVE NEARLY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF POLLEN AND DUST. OR, AT LEAST ASK IF THE CLASSROOMS ARE VENTILATED... BY OPENING WINDOWS AND DOORS REGULARLY.

SOURCE INFORMATION

Cynthia Haines, MD
Contact: MacLean Guthrie
Director, Public Relations
WebMD
111 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212-624-3760
macguthrie@webmd.net
www.webmd.com

Dr. Haines earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in biology and psychology from Saint Louis University. She went on to earn an MD with Distinction, as well as a Geriatric Scholar's Award, from Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Her residency in family medicine was with Family Medicine of Saint Louis, after which she joined a St. John's Mercy affiliated private practice.
Dr. Haines is an active staff physician at St. John's Mercy Medical Center as well as an assistant clinical professor at Saint Louis University's School of Medicine in the department of community and family medicine.
She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and is board certified in family medicine.