Seminole County students learn hand washing tips to prevent coronavirus

Lesson part of Healthy Hands program

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Students in Seminole County are getting a lesson on how to prevent the spreading of germs as uncertainty over the coronavirus continues.

During a class at Midway Elementary School on Thursday, second graders learned about the basics of hand washing and how proper techniques can help prevent illness.

“Right now with the coronavirus, it’s very important we’re teaching our kids how to keep their hands clean, so they’re not spreading germs to everybody,” principal Cathy Lambert said.

The lesson was part of the Healthy Hands program with Seminole County Public Schools. The program was launched in 2014 to teach students the importance clean hands play in staying healthy.

After a discussion about hand washing on Thursday, students were introduced to the “GlitterBug.” The machine is used to demonstrate the appearance of germs under a black light.

"It looked like there was a lot of germs on my hand and under the black light it looked like my hands were dirty," second grader Emily Coleman said.

Students applied lotion to simulate dirty hands and then were given a chance to see how effective they were in removing the "germs."

"I had to go back, because I forgot to clean under my nails," Coleman said.

Volunteers helped show students how they should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds and pay close attention to make sure every area is washed clean.

Volunteers said unwashed hands can carry from 10,000 to 10 million bacteria at a time.

“We all need reinforcements on how important it is that germs can be spread,” Lambert said. “Just like anything else, you have to teach students all their life skills, such as washing their hands, so we don’t spread germs throughout our community.”

Program leaders said several lessons are scheduled for the weeks after students return from spring break.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the program is urged to call the SCPS Educational Support Center at 407-320-0178.


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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