Pink Eye: Reducing the Risk
By: Stephanie Springer, WALB
Updated: September 10, 2012
Conjunctivitis, or "Pink Eye", is a very contagious virus passed around easily especially among kids.
It's one of the top reason kids miss school or daycare.
There are things you can do to reduce your risk.
One daycare provider in Tifton, Georgia says she's been able to keep her daycare "pink eye" free for years.
Linda Alexander is the owner of Little Miracles Group daycare in Tifton.
She says keeping the kids safe and healthy are her top priorities.
"Pretty much everything that can be touched by a child, we wipe it down," she said.
Germs spread easily when kids are in close quarters especially at schools and daycares and pinkeye is one of the most contagious.
A child can get bacterial or viral pinkeye from an infected child coughing or sneezing or by touching toys that are contaminated.
It's uncomfortable and your child may wake up with red or pink eyes or their eye may be stuck together because of discharge.
"We've been open for four years and so far we haven't had a case of pink eye," she said.
She says the key to success is simple: washing hands.
"The thing I stress to my staff is wash your hands. Even though we wear gloves when we change diapers..wash your hands," she said.
They use gloves to change diapers and change the sheets on each child's crib daily.
If she did think a child had pink eye they would be sent home and asked to get a note from the doctor, however it may be a type of pink eye that is not contagious.
"They also might have allergies..you might think pink eye and its allergies," she said.
Sometimes pink eye clears up on its own, or can be treated with eye drops however it's important to keep that child isolated until it goes away.
It's one of the top reason kids miss school or daycare.
There are things you can do to reduce your risk.
One daycare provider in Tifton, Georgia says she's been able to keep her daycare "pink eye" free for years.
Linda Alexander is the owner of Little Miracles Group daycare in Tifton.
She says keeping the kids safe and healthy are her top priorities.
"Pretty much everything that can be touched by a child, we wipe it down," she said.
Germs spread easily when kids are in close quarters especially at schools and daycares and pinkeye is one of the most contagious.
A child can get bacterial or viral pinkeye from an infected child coughing or sneezing or by touching toys that are contaminated.
It's uncomfortable and your child may wake up with red or pink eyes or their eye may be stuck together because of discharge.
"We've been open for four years and so far we haven't had a case of pink eye," she said.
She says the key to success is simple: washing hands.
"The thing I stress to my staff is wash your hands. Even though we wear gloves when we change diapers..wash your hands," she said.
They use gloves to change diapers and change the sheets on each child's crib daily.
If she did think a child had pink eye they would be sent home and asked to get a note from the doctor, however it may be a type of pink eye that is not contagious.
"They also might have allergies..you might think pink eye and its allergies," she said.
Sometimes pink eye clears up on its own, or can be treated with eye drops however it's important to keep that child isolated until it goes away.
