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HELPFUL
TIPS FOR DISEASE PREVENTION IN PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
Written
by:
Phillip
Conatser & Chris
Ledingham, University of Texas Brownsville
Introduction
Should you think twice about the next
ball or piece of sports equipment you
touch in class? Most of us don’t
even think about what could be left
on the equipment we use; we just grab
a ball and go. However, as educators
we should be a little more vigilant
in preventing exposure to infectious
diseases.
In recent years the threat of infectious
disease outbreaks in schools has garnered
the attention of national media. Whether
the H1N1
flu, infectious
mononucleosis, Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (flesh eating
bacteria), or pink-eye,
the school environment is one that needs
to take some specific action in preventing
disease. In the physical education setting,
this may be a more daunting task because
students often share equipment and come
in direct contact with one another;
further, there is an increased threat
of injures. The authors offer some simple
tips that, if followed, will minimize
the chance of a disease transmission.
While there are numerous infectious
diseases out there, and many districts
have well-developed (1,000 + pages)
specific guidelines on how to respond
to these diseases individually, the
main question many physical educators
may ask is “Where do I start?”
The answer, although simplistic, is
educators should always follow the “universal
precautions.” Universal precautions
refer to the technique commonly used
by medical professionals to limit exposure
to infectious diseases, and it starts
with the simple act of washing your
hands. More specifically educators should
do the following procedures:
- Wash hands before and after
contact with an injured student
or cleaning potentially contaminated
equipment.
- Wear
gloves whenever there is a possibility
of coming in contact with blood
or other potentially infectious
materials (body fluids and tissues).
- Protect
the body and clothes whenever
there is a possibility of blood
or other fluids splashing onto
you. This may occur during treatment
of an injured student or during
the cleaning of equipment.
- Wear
face masks and eye protection
whenever there is a possibility
of blood or other fluids splashing
on the face.
- Properly
dispose or disinfect all contaminated
personal protective equipment
in an appropriate container
for waste.
5 TIPS FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL
OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
 Cleaning
Sports Equipment
When was the last time you wiped down
the bats, balls, gloves, and other pieces
of equipment that your students use
on a regular basis? While it’s
true that many bacterial and viral diseases
don’t live for long outside of
the body, some may survive for several
hours or even days. Therefore, periodic
cleaning of all equipment should become
standard practice. But how often is
standard? What should you use to clean
and disinfect the equipment? These are
two questions that are not easily answered,
but here are a few suggestions.
- If you suspect that one or more
of you students may be ill, or they
are returning to class after a period
of illness, it may be worthwhile to
clean any equipment with which they
came into contact using a mild anti-bacterial/anti-viral
soap solution.
- Make a
point of having all of your students
wash their hands with soap and water
before and after class, and have a
container of hand sanitizer available.
Another idea is to remind students
of good germ prevention and encourage
them to keep their hands away from
their eyes, nose, and mouth.
- At a minimum,
you should clean your equipment prior
to storage, using a cleaner that will
not degrade the equipment.
- Bleach is
not the best alternative. While it
will kill many bacteria, it doesn’t
always kill all viruses, fungi, or
other pathogens.
- When preparing
cleaners, a 1:10 solution of anti-bacterial/anti-viral
soap and water may be your best low-cost
solution, but make sure you follow
district and/or manufactures’
recommendations for mixing cleaners.
Cleaning Personal Sports Equipment
Uniforms, helmets, pads, and other protective
gear are often not properly cleaned.
While jerseys and pants get laundered,
the helmets, pads, and other pieces
of equipment are put away in gear bags
and hung in dark warm lockers which
become prime breeding grounds for bacteria.
It is worthwhile to spend the time to
properly clean and dry these pieces
of equipment on a regular basis. Cleaning
equipment not only kills germs, but
it improves the smell of the equipment
and prolongs the equipment’s life.
Here are a few more suggestions:
- Follow the manufacture’s
guidelines when cleaning the equipment.
If you use the wrong cleaner, this
may degrade and affect the equipment.
- Make sure
equipment has ample time to air dry
before storage; otherwise you’re
creating a prime environment for mold
and bacteria to grow. Store equipment
in mesh bags in a well ventilated
locker or store room. You may also
consider using fans to improve air
circulation.
- If the equipment
has been abused or is too soiled to
clean, consider taking it out of service
or replacing it.
- Do not allow
athletes to share towels, especially
those contaminated with blood. Used
towels should be placed in a properly
labeled bin for laundering.
Dealing with Body Fluids
Setting injuries aside, it is near impossible
to avoid contact with certain body fluids
in the PE setting. During a good workout,
our students will be sweating profusely,
and while sweat usually is not dangerous,
a mix of sweat with an open wound can
become a hazard, as can a student with
a productive cough and runny nose.
Following universal precautions is
the best way to deal with these, but
it’s not always the most practical.
To prevent diseases commonly associated
with body fluids like blood, saliva,
and respiratory secretions, it’s
your job to train your students in the
best practices to avoid coming into
contact with these substances. Practices
like coughing or sneezing into the crux
of their arm rather than their hands
or out in the open is a good start.
You may consider doing the following:
- Set a rule of no spitting in class,
regardless of whether the student
is inside or outside. However, if
they must spit, they should do so
in a trash can or away from other
students, not on the gym floor or
water fountain. Remember, with physical
activity students often need a place
to spit, so designate containers or
other appropriate devices near play
areas.
- Have an
ample supply of disposable disinfectant
wipes for students to use on themselves
and equipment.
- Do not
allow students to share towels or
sponges.
- Clean equipment
using the anti-bacterial/anti-viral
solution mentioned above.
- Encourage
or mandate students to shower after
class.
- Make sure
student injuries (cuts and scrapes)
are properly bandaged before class
or activity.
- Properly
train all faculty and staff on the
proper techniques for dealing with
blood and body fluids.
- When treating
injuries always wear gloves. If you
have any open wounds on your hands
or arm, you may want to have another
person care for the injured student.
- When cleaning
spills, make sure you wear gloves,
use absorbent paper towels, and properly
dispose. You may consider purchasing
good paper towels for possible cleaning
because most school towels do not
absorb well.
Locker rooms and Showers
Diseases like athlete’s foot and
flesh eating bacteria love warm humid
environments, and they often thrive
in areas that don’t get cleaned
thoroughly on regular basis. In most
facilities the sinks, mirrors, toilets,
and floors get cleaned regularly; however,
other areas are often neglected. To
prevent these diseases, make sure the
following are in place in your facility:
- Daily thorough cleaning by janitorial
staff of all hard surfaces using proper
cleaners including shower heads, dividing
walls, and door handles.
- Ensure proper
drainage of standing water in showers
and locker rooms. If puddles form
in shower areas, have squeegees available
to move water towards the drain or
use fans to help dry the surface.
- Mandate
that all students wear shower shoes
or flip-flops. This will minimize
student contact with potential contaminated
floors and help minimize the spread
of disease like athletes foot.
- Have fresh
towels available and proper receptacle
bins for the collection of used towels.
- Have soap
dispensers available, and make sure
they are kept filled and cleaned.
- Make sure
benches, lockers, and other objects
that students contact are regularly
cleaned.
Person-to-Person Diseases
Having a clean environment is a great
first step in disease prevention, but
there are diseases that are spread person-to-person
that need addressing as well. Diseases
like the common cold, the flu, lice,
HIV, hepatitis B and C, and cold sores
(often caused by herpes simplex viruses)
are among those that can easily be spread
if proper precautions are not taken.
- To prevent the spread of cold and
flu viruses, physical educators should
not allow students with such infections
to participate in activities until
they are well or they have been fever
free, without the use of medications,
for at least 24 hours.
- Students
with lice infections or suspected
infections need to be identified and
referred to the school nurse or healthcare
provider for proper treatment. Students
with suspected infections should not
use or share protective head gear
with other students. All equipment
utilized by students with suspected
cases of lice need to be properly
cleaned with the appropriate cleansers.
Note: bleach does not kill lice.
- Students
with active cases of pink-eye, while
usually told to stay home until the
infection is cleared, may still show
up symptomatic to school. If a student
is identified with pink-eye, they
should not be allowed to participate
in PE. Additionally if a case of pink
eye is suspected, the student should
be referred to the school nurse or
healthcare provider for diagnosis
and treatment.
- Students
with HIV or hepatitis B or C should
not be barred from participating in
PE. However, a proper first aid kit
with appropriate personal protective
equipment should be kept on hand in
case of an accident. Students with
these diseases should not take part
in high risk activities (such as wrestling
or boxing); however, educators should
follow their school district or state
guidelines. Remember to reinforce
to classmates that they can’t
contract HIV from competing in sports,
coming into contact with sweat, having
casual contact (such as handshakes),
or swimming in a pool.
Anytime large groups of people work
or play together, germs will be passed;
however, being determined and vigilant
in following these simple suggestions
will help prevent the spread of unwanted
diseases.
Happy New Year “Stay Clean &
Stay Healthy!” |
