As illnesses peak, local day cares take precautions to keep kids and staff healthy
Cleaning spray and wet wipes are part of Lori Wilson’s daily ritual at the Village Child Development Center in west Charlotte. The at-home preschool operator said germs are her classroom’s enemy.
“There’s almost an angst that comes along with, ‘What’s this little sniffle about?’ or ‘What is this sneeze?’ so (we’re) being hypervigilant,” Wilson told Channel 9′s Erika Jackson.
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She said the local rise in respiratory viruses has caused the increase in precautionary measures.
“Hand washing, we go through paper towels like no other, we go through disinfectant sprays and bleaches,” Wilson said.
Dr. Eugene Daugherty, the medical director for Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital, said he and his team are treating a large number of hospitalized patients with RSV and the flu.
He said this season has been atypical. Cases are peaking months earlier than they usually see from January through March.
“It’s not just about the number of infections, but it’s about how potent the infections are this year and it continues to really be a strain on the health care system,” Daugherty said. “We continue to see these very high number of hospitalizations. It’s clearly had a significant impact throughout North Carolina.
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“Over the last several months we have had, it’s actually quite common, that all of the hospitals are full in the pediatric intensive care unit, as well as the pediatric floor, with the majority of these being RSV and flu patients.”
Wilson said she won’t hesitate to close her day care if health becomes a concern. With the holidays right around the corner, she believes being proactive is the best way to protect students.
“We’re trying to get ahead of things rather than trying to catch them on the back end,” Wilson said.
The rise in RSV and flu cases has caused local hospitals to not allow visitors 12 and under at their facilities. Novant, Atrium and Caromont Health have all added the stipulation until further notice.
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