Something Extra Frightening

Local writer and mom, Joyce Heid, reports on her family’s bout with H1N1, or swine flu, in this special six-part blog.

H1N1 411: Part 5
By Joyce Heid

When I was little, Halloween safety precautions meant letting your parents go through your candy before you ate it. If the candy looked tampered with, though it was probably just a loose wrapper, it went in the trash.
This Halloween, for many parents the danger might not be what is in the wrapper, but what might be lurking on doorbells and other surfaces children may come in contact with while trick-or-treating.
According to the website flu.gov, H1N1 can survive on hard surfaces and possibly infect a person for up to 2 to 8 hours. Viruses, including H1N1, may be spread when someone touches droplets left by coughs and sneezes. With lots of kids heading out to get their Halloween loot, I doubt that many homeowners are disinfecting their doors between knocks. Theoretically, just one child with the flu who sneezes on his hand and then knocks on a door could possibly infect dozens of other children.
Hopefully, this scenario is a long shot, but with the CDC reporting widespread influenza in 46 states and the numbers of reported cases rising weekly, is it possible to be too cautious?
With everyone healthy at the moment, the last thing we want is another case of H1N1 in the house. My two children will be making the neighborhood rounds tomorrow night—but, along with glow sticks and a bag for their candy, they will also be armed with more hand sanitizer. I wonder if there’s a pumpkin-scented version.

Do you wish to share your thoughts about the dealing with swine flu? Send your comments to Dianne@BaltimoresChild.com.