‘Mr. Glitterbug’ sheds light on CCS students’ hand-washing abilities

    Last Friday, a special event for grades K-3 was held at Chase County Schools (CCS).
    “With flu season and other illnesses upon us, it was a good time to address proper handwashing for students,” School Nurse Angie Paisley said.
    The Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD), based in McCook, have medical personnel who travel to area schools to teach proper handwashing techniques and educate students on the importance of doing so, said Melissa Propp, RN, SWNPHD public health nurse for the district.
    Propp and program assistant Sarah Minnick were on hand to teach students about germs and illness, how important it is to cover their mouths when coughing and how and when to wash their hands.
    Also present for the clinic was “Mr. Glitterbug,” a black light apparatus used for showing where germs hide on the hands.
    “We had students rub a special powder onto their hands—like putting on hand lotion. They then put their hands under Mr. Glitterbug  and looked down into his ‘mouth’ to see the germs on their hands exposed by the black light,” Propp said.
    Students were instructed on how to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water.
    Following the handwashing, students placed their hands back under Mr. Glitterbug to see if and where any germs might be left, she said.
    “Many students—and adults—don’t know how to perform proper handwashing. Many of the students thought just running their hands under water for a couple of seconds is good enough,” Propp explained.
    The number one way to help protect people from getting sick is proper handwashing and doing it often, said Propp.