Introduction
Communicable infections are contagious to others through direct or indirect contact, and may be contained through isolation and vaccinations. They can be spread from person to person, animal to person, or object to person.
In an early childhood setting, communicable diseases are prone to be spread, as most children are not aware of proper hygiene procedures to prevent an outbreak.
There are multiple communicable diseases that are common in childcare. These diseases we have to be aware of, know their symptoms, and how to prevent it from spreading.
Take a minute to think of some examples to share with the group.
Task
Using the diseases you have brainstormed, in pairs, pick a particular disease to conduct an investigation on to present to the rest of the group.
A disease cannot be used by more than one pair, so choose wisely!
A disease that could be researched is:
- Whooping cough
- Scarlet Fever
- Hand, Foot and Mouth
- Gastro
- Chicken Pox
- Or another disease of your choosing.
For your investigation, the following questions must be addressed:
- What does the disease do?
- What are the symptoms?
- How is it contagious?
- What are the preventative methods?
- How is it managed when infected?
Process
For this task, use only government-official websites to gather your information. This is to prevent non-reputable sites using incorrect information.
Website Examples:
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines-publications/ch43
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/cda-pubs-cdi-1997-cdi2122-cdi2122a.htm
Evaluation
|
|
Information |
Presentation |
Sources |
|
1 |
Information is accurate, and thorough. |
Information is presented in an informative and clear way, with no mistakes. |
The sources used were reputable and provided correct information. |
|
2 |
Information is mostly accurate and an acceptable amount of detail is provided. |
Information is presented in a mostly concise way, with minimal mistakes. |
Most of the sources used were reputable, and provided mostly correct information. |
|
3 |
Information is not accurate and minimal detail is provided. |
Information is presented in a confusing way, with a large amount of mistakes. |
Minimal amount of reputable sources were used, most of the information provided was incorrect. |
Conclusion
This workshop should provide you with a clear understanding of the different communicable diseases that are present in childcare, what the symptoms are, and how to treat/prevent it from spreading.
Talk to the person next to you, discussing what you have learnt, and share your ideas.
Credits
By Laura Burns
A fourth year Early Childhood Education student at University of Tasmania.