How to Prevent Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
Wash your hands often., Avoid direct contact with others., Disinfect common areas., Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze., Separate contagious people., Teach children how to avoid infection at school.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wash your hands often.
Like many viral infections, the first line of defense against spreading HFMD is simply to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.
Your hands are most likely to come into contact with other people throughout your day and HFMD is spread primarily through direct contact.
Teach your children the proper way to wash their hands to help them avoid contracting HFMD at school.To properly wash your hands, run them under warm water to wet them, then apply soap.
Lather the soap over your entire hands, including the backs.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing them.
Sing "Happy Birthday" at least once while you're washing your hands to determine this time approximately.
Dry your hands thoroughly. -
Step 2: Avoid direct contact with others.
When there’s a risk of HFMD infection, it’s important to avoid direct physical contact with anyone that may be carrying the virus.
HFMD transmits easily through close contact with others.Tell your kids not to hug or wrestle with other children at school.
Do not share eating utensils or drinking glasses with anyone. , In order to prevent the transmission of the virus that causes HFMD, you will need to regularly disinfect common areas where people infected with the virus may have been.
It is a good habit to regularly disinfect any high traffic areas, particularly in schools and daycares.Use soap and water to clean areas, then disinfect them with a diluted solution of chlorine bleach and water.
Disinfectant sprays also do a good job of eliminating the virus that causes HFMD on most surfaces.
Make sure to clean counters, doorknobs, children’s toys and anything else people touch regularly. , You and those around you will need to exercise good cough and sneeze etiquette in order to minimize the chances of infecting one another if anyone were to become infected with HFMD.Use your arm to cover your mouth so as not to cover your hands in germs.
Dispose of tissues you use immediately and don’t leave them anywhere others may come in contact with them.
Wash your hands after you cough or sneeze into them to prevent the spread of the virus. , If you know someone that is exhibiting the symptoms of, or has been diagnosed with, HFMD you should keep them separate from others, particularly small children.
While HFMD is usually a mild viral infection, it can lead to more serious issues.
If one of your children exhibits symptoms of the illness, quarantine them in a room separate from any other children until they have recovered.Limit the exposure of people exhibiting symptoms to all others, particularly children.
Keep sick children home from school so as to prevent them from spreading it to others.
Stay home from work or school if you recognize the symptoms in yourself. , It can be very easy to transmit infections like HFMD at school because of the number of children and their lack of understanding about sharing germs.
Teach your kids good practices at home so they are better prepared while in class.Teach your children proper cough and sneeze etiquette.
Encourage your children to wash their hands frequently, especially immediately before eating.
Make sure they know not to share beverages or utensils at school.
Tell your children to keep their hands and other objects away from their face and out of their mouth. -
Step 3: Disinfect common areas.
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Step 4: Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
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Step 5: Separate contagious people.
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Step 6: Teach children how to avoid infection at school.
Detailed Guide
Like many viral infections, the first line of defense against spreading HFMD is simply to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.
Your hands are most likely to come into contact with other people throughout your day and HFMD is spread primarily through direct contact.
Teach your children the proper way to wash their hands to help them avoid contracting HFMD at school.To properly wash your hands, run them under warm water to wet them, then apply soap.
Lather the soap over your entire hands, including the backs.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing them.
Sing "Happy Birthday" at least once while you're washing your hands to determine this time approximately.
Dry your hands thoroughly.
When there’s a risk of HFMD infection, it’s important to avoid direct physical contact with anyone that may be carrying the virus.
HFMD transmits easily through close contact with others.Tell your kids not to hug or wrestle with other children at school.
Do not share eating utensils or drinking glasses with anyone. , In order to prevent the transmission of the virus that causes HFMD, you will need to regularly disinfect common areas where people infected with the virus may have been.
It is a good habit to regularly disinfect any high traffic areas, particularly in schools and daycares.Use soap and water to clean areas, then disinfect them with a diluted solution of chlorine bleach and water.
Disinfectant sprays also do a good job of eliminating the virus that causes HFMD on most surfaces.
Make sure to clean counters, doorknobs, children’s toys and anything else people touch regularly. , You and those around you will need to exercise good cough and sneeze etiquette in order to minimize the chances of infecting one another if anyone were to become infected with HFMD.Use your arm to cover your mouth so as not to cover your hands in germs.
Dispose of tissues you use immediately and don’t leave them anywhere others may come in contact with them.
Wash your hands after you cough or sneeze into them to prevent the spread of the virus. , If you know someone that is exhibiting the symptoms of, or has been diagnosed with, HFMD you should keep them separate from others, particularly small children.
While HFMD is usually a mild viral infection, it can lead to more serious issues.
If one of your children exhibits symptoms of the illness, quarantine them in a room separate from any other children until they have recovered.Limit the exposure of people exhibiting symptoms to all others, particularly children.
Keep sick children home from school so as to prevent them from spreading it to others.
Stay home from work or school if you recognize the symptoms in yourself. , It can be very easy to transmit infections like HFMD at school because of the number of children and their lack of understanding about sharing germs.
Teach your kids good practices at home so they are better prepared while in class.Teach your children proper cough and sneeze etiquette.
Encourage your children to wash their hands frequently, especially immediately before eating.
Make sure they know not to share beverages or utensils at school.
Tell your children to keep their hands and other objects away from their face and out of their mouth.
About the Author
Ann Palmer
Experienced content creator specializing in home improvement guides and tutorials.
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