Car journeys linked to spread of cold, flu in kids
11 Nov 2008With a third of parents sharing the kids' school run with other local families, the car can become a haven for children catching cold and flu during the winter months.
Research from Kleenex found that 94% of school runs can take up to 30 minutes each way, offering germs the ideal environment to spread among parents and children.
Family doctor Dawn Harper explained: "Germs can remain virulent for up to 24 hours, even in a used tissue, but it is not always easy or practical to throw away a tissue immediately when you are driving."
According to the findings, only 1% of parents think their kids are at risk of catching a cold in the car compared to 84% in school classrooms and 13% in the playground.
Dr Harper added: "Parents are protective over their child's
health and try to maintain high levels of hygiene within the home. We are forgetting to take preventative measures when ferrying our kids around in the car – it takes just one sneeze in a car environment to release millions of air borne germs."
Washing hands after travelling and opening windows for better ventilation can help reduce exposure to harmful viruses while travelling.
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