5 Of The Most Common Back-To-School Bugs – And How To Treat Them

I am (appropriately) writing this with a sore throat, courtesy of my child.

Parents editor at HuffPost UK

If your child hasn’t got sick yet after heading back to school, you’re doing mighty well.

Experts suggest the rise in respiratory viruses after the summer holidays is largely down to the return to group settings and indoor environments, as well as changes in daily routines (think: waking up earlier, getting less sleep, feeling stressed about school, and eating differently).

It’s thought children catch around five to eight colds a year. Tummy bugs; flu; Covid-19; chickenpox; hand, foot and mouth are all added extras. (And spare a thought for the toddlers among us who can expect to catch up to 19 illnesses during their first year in nursery.)

With the sniffles, shivers and spluttering well under way, we heard from health experts about some of the most common back-to-school bugs that kids are likely to pick up, as well as the symptoms to watch out for, how’s best to treat them and when they should be staying home.

Coming in at most common is – unsurprisingly – the common cold. According to Cleveland Clinic, over 200 different viruses can causes colds, with the usual culprit being rhinovirus.

This one’s characterised by a sore throat, coughing, sneezing, congestion and........

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