Coronavirus - Update & Resources

With the spread of coronavirus happening in our community, we recognize there is a desire to get the latest information. The situation is changing very quickly.

We encourage child care providers to visit the Snohomish Health District website regularly to stay up-to-date. https://www.snohd.org/ncov2019. Also, please make sure that you are signed up to receive our "Health Alerts for Child Care Providers." You can sign up to receive these by going to www.snohd.org/notifyme. While there, you may also wish to sign up to receive notifications when our Public Health Essentials blog is updated as much of the newest information is shared in this manner.

Updated guidance for child care providers is being posted as it becomes available.

Child care related documents can be found at https://www.snohd.org/491/COVID-19-Info-for-Schools-Child-Cares. New documents that are now available include:

Child care and early learning program guidance document
A poster instructing parents to keep sick children at home
Cleaning and disinfecting guidance
A "Germbusters toolkit" with posters and handouts

If you have general questions about the coronavirus or the situation in Washington state, call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

Other helpful websites include:
WA Department of Health: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
Coronavirus fact sheet, available in multiple languages
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
Public Health - Seattle and King County: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus/childcare.aspx

Continue to Practice Good Respiratory Etiquette

Please continue to follow general health and sanitation guidance to reduce the spread of respiratory illness, including:

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Monitor and assist children as they wash hands.
Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid contact with people who are sick. If a child becomes ill during care, place them in a location away from other children as they wait for their parent or guardian to pick them up.
Stay home while sick and avoid close contact with others.
Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash hands.

Disinfecting for COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its recommendations for environmental cleaning and disinfection in "community facilities" which includes child cares. The complete recommendations can be found here. The CDC states:

Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims are expected to be effective against COVID-19. Follow manufacturer's instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g. concentration, application method and contact time, etc.). A list of these products can be found on the EPA website.
Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

We hope to have updated bleach disinfectant labels available on our website soon with the new recipe.

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!

Quite often during uncertain times we already know what to do…wash hands, stay home when sick, and cover your cough are well-known strategies for staying well and helping others to stay well. When it comes to keeping our body’s germ fighting immune system strong, nothing can be more important than (…yes….you’ve heard it before….) eating fruits and vegetables. The red, yellow, orange and green colors indicate that Vitamins A, C and E and phytochemicals are plentiful. Meeting the recommendations for these micronutrients helps to ensure we are getting enough antioxidants so our immune system can work at full capacity.

Although we don’t know of any specific food that will prevent the common cold, the flu or COVID 19, we can strive to stay healthy so if we are exposed to germs our body has a fighting chance to get rid of them quickly. The recommendation for servings of fruits and vegetables is to get at least 5 servings a day and make them about half of what you eat. If you prefer one over the other, no worries…both the fruit and vegetable groups are full of antioxidants and fiber (which helps keep our digestive track working well!) Check out the MyPlate plan to find out how many servings you need based on your age, height and weight. You may be surprised at how quickly these servings add up. A serving is a small apple or banana, a medium sized carrot, ½ cup of broccoli or a large handful of spinach.

It's National Nutrition Month!
The National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has named March National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is “Eat Right Bite by Bite”. Small changes to our regular eating habits have a cumulative effect on health. Any choice that adds nutritional value to the foods you eat is a choice in the right direction. Harvest for Healthy Kids includes many kid friendly recipes like blueberry salad, sweet potato fries and lentil/carrot soup.
For more ideas check out 20 easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables

Contact our Nutritionist for more menu planning guidelines and recipe ideas.
Katy Levenhagen: (425) 252-5407, klevenhagen@snohd.org

Classes are available to everyone. Learning courses can be taken at no cost. If you wish to obtain a certificate or STARS credit, cost is $10 per credit hour.

Click here for instructions on how to use our online learning portal.

Image of people using online learning portal.

Click here to go to the online learning website.

This Month's Featured Classes

Online Course
Teaching Illness Prevention to Young Children

Keeping healthy in child care requires everyone to do their part. This includes making sure that the children learn how to keep themselves healthy by properly washing hands, coughing or sneezing into their arm, and staying home when sick. Learn some creative ways to teach young children of all ages these important life skills.

Online Course
Preparing for the Flu

Harm from influenza disproportionately affects young children. This class provides both basic and advanced information regarding influenza. In this class, participants will identify the difference between flu and other viruses it may be confused with, learn about how seasonal influenza is different from pandemic influenza, and find new strategies to avoid influenza illness. The class will cover everything from the virus that causes flu to the global impact of influenza pandemics.

Contact Information

Snohomish Health District, 3020 Rucker Ave., Ste. 104, Everett, WA 98201

Email: childcarehealth@snohd.org

Program Phone: 425.252.5415

Website: http://www.snohd.org/238/Child-Care-Providers

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The Child Care Health Outreach Program staff are available to consult with you on these and other health, safety, and nutrition topics by phone, by email, or at your child care.