Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings March 2017 Prevent the spread of infections by ensuring: routine immunisation, high standards of personal visit www.publichealth.hscni.net or www.gov.uk/government/organisations/Public-health-england if you hygiene and practice, particularly handwashing, and maintaining a clean environment. Please contact would like any further advice or information, including the latest guidance. Children with rashes should the Public Health Agency Health Protection Duty Room (Duty Room) on 0300 555 0119 or be considered infectious and assessed by their doctor. Rashes and Recommended period to be kept away Comments skin infections from school, nursery or childminders Good hygiene practice Handwashing is one of the most important ways of controlling the spread of infections, especially those that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and Athlete’s foot None Athlete’s foot is not a serious condition. Treatment is respiratory disease. The recommended method is the use of liquid soap, warm water and paper towels. Always wash hands after using the toilet, before recommended eating or handling food, and after handling animals. Cover all cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressings. Chickenpox* Until all vesicles have crusted over See: Vulnerable children and female staff – pregnancy Coughing and sneezing easily spread infections. Children and adults should be encouraged to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue. Wash hands after using or disposing of tissues. Spitting should be discouraged. Cold sores, None Avoid kissing and contact with the sores. (Herpes simplex) Cold sores are generally mild and self-limiting Personal protective equipment (PPE). Disposable non-powdered vinyl or latex-free CE-marked gloves and disposable plastic aprons must be worn German measles Four days from onset of rash (as per “Green Preventable by immunisation (MMR x 2 doses). where there is a risk of splashing or contamination with blood/body fluids (for example, nappy or pad changing). Goggles should also be available for (rubella)* Book”) See: Female staff – pregnancy use if there is a risk of splashing to the face. Correct PPE should be used when handling cleaning chemicals. Hand, foot and mouth None Contact the Duty Room if a large number of children Cleaning of the environment, including toys and equipment, should be frequent, thorough and follow national guidance. For example, use colour-coded are affected. Exclusion may be considered in some equipment, follow Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations and correct decontamination of cleaning equipment. Monitor circumstances cleaning contracts and ensure cleaners are appropriately trained with access to PPE. Impetigo Until lesions are crusted and healed, or 48 hours Antibiotic treatment speeds healing and reduces the Cleaning of blood and body fluid spillages. All spillages of blood, faeces, saliva, vomit, nasal and eye discharges should be cleaned up immediately after commencing antibiotic treatment infectious period (always wear PPE). When spillages occur, clean using a product that combines both a detergent and a disinfectant. Use as per manufacturer’s instructions and ensure it is effective against bacteria and viruses and suitable for use on the affected surface. Never use mops for cleaning up blood and Measles* Four days from onset of rash Preventable by vaccination (MMR x 2). body fluid spillages – use disposable paper towels and discard clinical waste as described below. A spillage kit should be available for blood spills. See: Vulnerable children and female staff – pregnancy Laundry should be dealt with in a separate dedicated facility. Soiled linen should be washed separately at the hottest wash the fabric will tolerate. Molluscum contagiosum None A self-limiting condition Wear PPE when handling soiled linen. Children’s soiled clothing should be bagged to go home, never rinsed by hand. Ringworm Exclusion not usually required Treatment is required Clinical waste. Always segregate domestic and clinical waste, in accordance with local policy. Used nappies/pads, gloves, aprons and soiled dressings Roseola (infantum) None None should be stored in correct clinical waste bags in foot-operated bins. All clinical waste must be removed by a registered waste contractor. All clinical waste bags should be less than two-thirds full and stored in a dedicated, secure area while awaiting collection. Scabies Child can return after first treatment Household and close contacts require treatment Sharps, eg needles, should be discarded straight into a sharps bin conforming to BS 7320 and UN 3291 standards. Sharps bins must be kept off the Scarlet fever* Child can return 24 hours after commencing Antibiotic treatment recommended for the affected floor (preferably wall-mounted) and out of reach of children. appropriate antibiotic treatment child. If more than one child has scarlet fever contact PHA Duty Room for further advice Sharps injuries and bites If skin is broken as a result of a used needle injury or bite, encourage the wound to bleed/wash thoroughly using soap and water. Contact GP or Slapped cheek (fifth None once rash has developed See: Vulnerable children and female staff – pregnancy occupational health or go to A&E immediately. Ensure local policy is in place for staff to follow. Contact the Duty Room for advice, if unsure. disease or parvovirus B19) Shingles Exclude only if rash is weeping and cannot be Can cause chickenpox in those who are not immune Animals covered i.e. have not had chickenpox. It is spread by very close Animals may carry infections, so wash hands after handling animals. Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) guidelines for protecting contact and touch. If further information is required, the health and safety of children should be followed. contact the Duty Room. SEE: Vulnerable Children and Female Staff – Pregnancy Animals in school (permanent or visiting). Ensure animals’ living quarters are kept clean and away from food areas. Waste should be disposed of regularly, and litter boxes not accessible to children. Children should not play with animals unsupervised. Hand-hygiene should be supervised after contact Warts and verrucae None Verrucae should be covered in swimming pools, with animals and the area where visiting animals have been kept should be thoroughly cleaned after use. Veterinary advice should be sought on animal gymnasiums and changing rooms welfare and animal health issues and the suitability of the animal as a pet. Reptiles are not suitable as pets in schools and nurseries, as all species carry salmonella. Diarrhoea and Recommended period to be kept away Comments Visits to farms. For more information see https://www.hseni.gov.uk/publications/preventing-or-controlling-ill-health-animal-contact-visitor-attractions vomiting illness from school, nursery or childminders Diarrhoea and/or 48 hours from last episode of diarrhoea or Vulnerable children vomiting vomiting Some medical conditions make children vulnerable to infections that would rarely be serious in most children, these include those being treated for leukaemia or other cancers, on high doses of steroids and with conditions that seriously reduce immunity. Schools and nurseries and childminders will E. coli O157 Should be excluded for 48 hours from the last Further exclusion is required for young children under normally have been made aware of such children. These children are particularly vulnerable to chickenpox, measles and parvovirus B19 and, if exposed VTEC* episode of diarrhoea five and those who have difficulty in adhering to to either of these, the parent/carer should be informed promptly and further medical advice sought. It may be advisable for these children to have hygiene practices additional immunisations, for example pneumococcal and influenza. This guidance is designed to give general advice to schools and childcare settings. Some vulnerable children may need further precautions to be taken, which should be discussed with the parent or carer in conjunction with their Typhoid* [and Further exclusion may be required for some Children in these categories should be excluded until medical team and school health. paratyphoid*] children until they are no longer excreting there is evidence of microbiological clearance. This (enteric fever) guidance may also apply to some contacts of cases Female staff# – pregnancy who may require microbiological clearance If a pregnant woman develops a rash or is in direct contact with someone with a potentially infectious rash, this should be investigated by a doctor who can contact Shigella* the duty room for further advice. The greatest risk to pregnant women from such infections comes from their own child/children, rather than the workplace. (dysentery) Please consult the Duty Room for further advice • Chickenpox can affect the pregnancy if a woman has not already had the infection. Report exposure to midwife and GP at any stage of pregnancy. The GP and antenatal carer will arrange a blood test to check for immunity. Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, so anyone who has Cryptosporidiosis* Exclude for 48 hours from the last episode of Exclusion from swimming is advisable for two weeks not had chickenpox is potentially vulnerable to the infection if they have close contact with a case of shingles. diarrhoea after the diarrhoea has settled • German measles (rubella). If a pregnant woman comes into contact with german measles she should inform her GP and antenatal