The Parents Guide to Dealing with Colds & FlusUseful tips, brought to you by the SNEEZESAFE® program, KLEENEX® Tissues and Dr John D’Arcy

Contents

Introduction from Dr John D’Arcy 2

What exactly is a common cold? 3

Did you know? 4

Catching colds 5

3 easy steps 6

Stopping the spread of germs 7

The common cold checklist 8

When to see your doctor 9

Entertainment inspiration 10

Thank you 11

Introduction from Dr John D’Arcy

“As a GP and father of four myself, I know just how horrible colds and fl u can make your little ones feel, and understand the impact their subsequent absences from school can have on the family. That’s why I have partnered with KLEENEX® Tissues to bring the SNEEZESAFE® program – an exciting and fun respiratory hygiene educational scheme – to schools across Australia. Engaging children in the SNEEZESAFE® Program gives them the tools to form more hygienic habits and is a step towards a healthier and happier home and classroom.”

“Take a look at this e-Book for help and advice on keeping germs at bay and making your family feel better when under the weather. It covers everything from practicing good hygiene, to coping with a cold and suggestions to entertain children when they’re poorly. So read on for tips on how to survive your family’s colds with a little help from myself and SNEEZESAFE®.

We hope you enjoy it and fi nd it useful!”

Dr John D’Arcy

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Common colds are infections of the upper respiratory tract. There are over 100 viruses that cause the common cold and at least one cold virus is in circulation at any given time1. While infected, your nose, throat and sometimes lungs are loaded with these germs.

Symptoms such as runny noses, coughs and sneezes spread cold germs into the air. If these highly contagious germs are breathed in by another person then they may become infected with the virus and catch the cold…and then they too can pass it on.

The weird and wonderful world of coldsIn Ancient Egypt, they treated colds with the milk of a mother who had given birth to a boy

In Ancient Greece they relied on leeches as treatment for colds

The common cold is also known as nasopharyngitis and rhinopharyngitis!

What exactly is a common cold?

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Did you know?

Approximately 50% of Australians

get a cold in winter, and a

quarter catch a cold in spring

Parents with children in daycare & pre/primary schools get an average of six colds a year

Colds are the most common reason that children miss school - the average child in pre-school and primary school misses 4.3 days of school as a result of colds and flu each year

Nine out of ten school age children wipe their noses on hand and clothing,

increasing their chances of catching

a cold – children who do this miss on average six days of

school a year

Adults not in contact with young children may catch two

to three colds a year

Children get more colds than adults because they do not have the same immunity to many cold viruses as adults do

82%of parents believe that their

children pick up most of the germs that can cause colds or flu at school or pre-school

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Catching colds

Wave goodbye to the myth that you catch a cold by being exposed to chilly weather. In actual fact, up to 80% of cold viruses caught throughout the year are spread by hand contact. The reason colds are more common in winter is because families spend more time indoors, in close contact with other people and their germs. Don’t worry though, we have all the tips you need to stay healthy!

Dr John D’Arcy says: “The cold virus can live outside of the body for up to 24 hours, so any surface a person touches after sneezing or coughing into their hands can become contaminated. Anyone who later comes into contact with this may contract the virus.”

Considering curious little hands touch an unbelievable number of surfaces every day, it’s not surprising that families with children can suffer up to five more colds annually than those without children2.

• Contact with objects touched or coughed on by someone with a cold

• Contact with an infected person e.g. sharing a glass

• Inhaling airborne droplets

The viruses that cause colds are also passed on by:

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3 easy steps

If your cheeky monkey has a cold, stop it spreading by teaching them the simple SNEEZESAFE® practice – it’s as easy as 1,2,3!

1. Catch it: Germs spread easily so make sure your kids always use a tissue when they sneeze or cough

2. Bin it: Germs can live for several hours on tissues so throw the tissue away in a bin straightaway

3. Kill it: Hands can transfer germs to every surface you touch so wash hands as soon as you can or reach for the anti-bacterial hand sanitizer if on-the-go

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when

you cough or sneeze.

Wash your hands.

Throw the tissue away afterwards.

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Stopping the spread of germs

• For blowing a runny nose (not wiping)

• For covering the nose and mouth when sneezing

• For covering the mouth when coughing

And don’t forget to bin used tissues and wash your hands!

The SNEEZESAFE® Program is an exciting and fun respiratory hygiene educational program run in schools nationwide, designed to teach children about coughs, cold and flu, to provide good hygiene habits and help prevent the spread of viruses. For more information, or to get your school involved visit www.sneezesafe.com.au

You can stop the virus spreading if you use tissues correctly! Tissues should be used in the following ways:

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The common cold checklist

Common colds make your kids feel poorly but the good news is they will usually get better on

their own in a week or so. Make sure your little patient:

• Gets a lot of rest – this gives their immune system time to fi ght the virus

• Drinks something soothing – they should drink their usual amount of fl uids

• Eats a nutritious diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables

• Has up-to-date immunisations

Warming soup always makes everyone feel better. Follow this easy-to-make recipe for a nourishing meal for four:

Method:1. Add chicken to the pot and cook off until nearly cooked all the way through2. Add onion and cook for a minute3. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pot along with the stock, water, noodles or rice, soup mix, salt and pepper and dill4. Cook until vegetables are tender

Ingredients:2 carrots, diced1 parsnip, diced100g button mushrooms1 swede, diced1 turnip, diced1 onion, diced1 cup chicken soup mix

250g chicken, sliced100g noodles or rice1 tablespoon oil4 cups salt reduced vegetable stockWater to addSalt and pepper to tasteDill (if desired)

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When to see your doctor

In most cases, colds are easily treatable. However, some serious diseases may initially appear

like a cold but require urgent medical attention. Dr John D’Arcy reminds us to act quickly and

see your doctor if the below symptoms come on suddenly, are severe or last longer than usual:

• Temperature higher than 38.5 degrees

• Chills

• Neck stiffness

• Severe muscle pains

• Severe headache

• Light hurting the eyes

• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

• Skin rash (of any sort)

• Pale or mottled skin

• Vomiting

• Unusual drowsiness or irritability

• Failure to drink or eat

• Earache

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“If you have any concerns, put your mind at ease and take a trip to the doctor” Dr John D’Arcy

Entertainment inspiration

www.sneezesafe.com.au

If your child is poorly enough to stay home from school, keep boredom at bay with

these fun ideas:

• Tea party treat with toys: Keep your kid entertained and hydrated at the same time, and

serve afternoon tea in bed for them and their toys. Go for tea with honey and lemon

to soothe the throat and ease congestion

• Book bonanza: Encourage your child’s imagination to run wild and make up a story. Come

along armed with paper and crayons for them to jot it down and illustrate with pictures –

and hey presto, they have their own book!

• Camp casa: Give your little one a change of scenery. Make a cosy den in the living room,

fi lled with cushions, blankets and their favourite toys and they will get all the rest they need

• Teddy tumble: Help your child understand that they are poorly and need to rest by using

their toys as an example. Give their favourite teddy a bandage and tuck them up in bed –

your patient will want to join them after that!

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Thank you

Thanks for reading - we hope you have found the SNEEZESAFE® program Guide to Dealing

with Colds & Flu useful.

If you want any further information, take a look at www.kleenex.com.au

or www.sneezesafe.com.au Remember, you can always ask your family doctor if you have any

questions about your family’s health.

KLEENEX® Tissues has a long history of being the category leader within the Australian market. When

it comes to tissues, research shows that softness is the number 1 attribute people are looking for.

With the launch of Silk Touch in 2009, KLEENEX® Tissues reaffi rmed its number one position and its

product superiority versus competition. KLEENEX® Tissues are Australia’s softest. KLEENEX® Tissues

has a wide range of pack designs available to suit any décor and a tissue solution for every occasion.

About us:

1. All statistics from survey conducted by Lonergan Research on behalf of KLEENEX® Tissues among 405 Australian parents of children aged 3-12 and attending pre-school, kindergarten or primary school rom 4 March to 17 March 2010

2. Wipe Away Colds and Flu with KLEENEX® Anti Viral, Rachel Johnson, from KLEENEX® UK website

® Registered Trademark Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. © 2012 KCWW

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