Back-to-School Germs: How to Prevent Common School Bugs

Q: How long do germs stay on surfaces?

It depends on the type of germ and the surface. Some viruses survive for only a few hours, while others can remain on hard surfaces for weeks or even months. Regular hand washing and cleaning frequently touched surfaces can help reduce the spread of infection.

In this guide

Back-to-School Germs: How to Prevent Common School Bugs

Returning to school means children are once again exposed to coughs, colds, and other common infections.

While it's impossible to avoid every bug, good hygiene habits and a well-stocked medicine cupboard can help keep your child healthy throughout the school year.

Here's how to reduce your child's risk of catching back-to-school germs and manage common illnesses when they occur.

Key Takeaways

Simple hygiene habits, such as regular hand washing, using hand sanitiser, and avoiding shared bottles or utensils, can help reduce the spread of back-to-school germs.
Keep your child at home if they're unwell, particularly if they have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhoea, to help protect other children and reduce the spread of infection.
Common back-to-school illnesses include colds, flu, coughs, sore throats, chickenpox, norovirus, conjunctivitis, and impetigo, most of which can be managed with rest, fluids and appropriate treatment.
A well-stocked medicine cupboard with children's OTC medicines, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, saline nasal spray, cough medicine, and oral rehydration solutions, can help you manage symptoms quickly at home.
Supporting your child's immune system and staying up to date with routine vaccinations can help keep them healthier throughout the school year.

How to Keep Your Kids Germ-Free at School

Although it's impossible to avoid every bug, a few simple healthy habits can make a big difference in reducing the spread of back-to-school germs.

Here's what you can do to help keep your child healthy throughout the school year:

1. Encourage Regular Hand Washing

Hand washing remains one of the most effective ways to fight germs and reduce the spread of infections.

Encourage your child to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially:

Before eating
After using the toilet
After coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose
After playing outside
When they arrive home from school

Teaching younger children to wash every part of their hands (including between their fingers, around their thumbs and under their nails) helps remove more germs.

2. Pack a Hand Sanitiser

Hand sanitiser is a useful backup when soap and water aren't available.

A small bottle kept in your child's school bag can be particularly useful before lunch or after using shared equipment.

However, hand sanitiser works best on visibly clean hands and shouldn't replace proper hand washing whenever facilities are available.

Explore Weldricks’ range of essential hand hygiene products to help protect your family against everyday germs!

3. Teach Them to Avoid Touching Their Face

Many viruses enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth.

Encourage your child to avoid rubbing their eyes, biting their nails, or touching their face unnecessarily throughout the school day, particularly before eating or after coughing and sneezing.

This simple habit can help reduce the spread of many common back-to-school bugs.

Teach your child to avoid sharing water bottles, cups, cutlery, or snacks with classmates, as these can easily spread viruses and bacteria. Labelling their water bottle and lunchbox can also help prevent accidental mix-ups during the school day.

5. Keep Them Home When They're Unwell

One of the best ways to prevent germs spreading at school is to avoid sending your child in when they're ill.

Your child should stay at home if they:

have a fever,
are vomiting,
have diarrhoea,
feel too unwell to take part in normal school activities.

If your child has vomiting or diarrhoea, they should stay away from school until at least 48 hours after their last episode, in line with UK public health guidance. This helps reduce the spread of infections such as norovirus, one of the most common causes of sickness outbreaks in schools.

If you're unsure whether your child is well enough to attend school, it's usually better to err on the side of caution, particularly if they're contagious or unable to participate comfortably in lessons.

6. Stay Up to Date With Vaccinations

Vaccination helps protect your child against several serious infectious diseases and can also reduce the spread of illness within schools.

Making sure your child receives their routine NHS vaccinations, including the seasonal flu vaccine if they're eligible, can help lower their risk of certain back-to-school illnesses.

7. Support Their Immune System

While no food or supplement can completely prevent infections, healthy lifestyle habits help support your child's immune system.

Encourage them to:

Eat a balanced diet.
Get enough sleep each night.
Stay physically active.
Drink plenty of water.

You can also read our guide to boosting your immune system for more practical advice.

Why Do Children Catch So Many Germs at the Start of the School Year?

It's completely normal for children to seem as though they're constantly catching bugs after returning to school.

This happens because:

They're in close contact with dozens of other children every day.
Germs spread easily through shared desks, toys, books, and sports equipment.
Younger children are still building immunity to many common viruses.
Coughing, sneezing, and poor hand hygiene make it easier for infections to spread around classrooms.

What Are the Most Common Illnesses Kids Catch When Returning to School?

The first few weeks of term often bring an increase in common childhood illnesses. While most are mild and improve with rest and supportive care, recognising the symptoms early can help you manage them appropriately.

Let's take a closer look at the most common illnesses your child is most likely to catch and how you can manage them:

Illness	How it’s spread	Common treatment
Common cold	Spread through coughs, sneezes, and contaminated hands or surfaces	Rest, plenty of fluids, and OTC cold medicines to relieve symptoms such as fever, congestion, or a runny nose
Flu (Influenza)	Spread through respiratory droplets and close contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces	Rest, fluids, and OTC medicines to help manage fever, headaches, muscle aches, etc.
Coughs & sore throats	Usually caused by viral infections that spread easily in classrooms	Stay hydrated and use age-appropriate OTC cough medicine or sore throat treatments where suitable
Chickenpox	Highly contagious through close contact and respiratory droplets	Treatment focuses on relieving itching and fever while the infection runs its course
Norovirus	Spreads rapidly through contaminated hands, food, and surfaces	Rest and plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Children should stay off school until 48 hours after symptoms stop
Impetigo	A contagious bacterial skin infection spread through close contact or shared items	Mild cases may improve with antiseptic treatment, while others may require prescribed antibiotics
COVID-19	Spread through respiratory droplets and close contact	Most children recover with rest and fluids
Pink eye (Conjunctivitis)	Spread through direct contact with infected eye secretions, contaminated hands, or shared items such as towels	Clean the eyes with cooled boiled water where appropriate and use lubricating or prescribed eye treatments if advised by a healthcare professional

Want to learn more? These guides can help:

Essential OTC Medicines Every Parent Should Keep at Home

No medicine cupboard can prevent your child from getting ill, but being prepared means you can start managing symptoms as soon as they appear. Here are some of the most useful OTC medicines for children to keep at home before the school year begins:

OTC medicine	What it's used for
Children's paracetamol	Helps relieve fever, headaches, sore throats, and general aches and pains
Children's ibuprofen	Helps reduce fever, inflammation, and pain (if suitable for your child)
Saline nasal spray	Helps relieve blocked or runny noses by loosening mucus
Children's cough medicine	Can help relieve certain types of cough in older children
Oral rehydration solutions (ORS)	Help replace fluids and electrolytes lost through vomiting or diarrhoea

It's also worth keeping a few healthcare essentials at home, including a digital thermometer to monitor your child's temperature and a basic first aid kit with plasters and antiseptic cream for minor cuts and scrapes.

Back-to-School Germs — Final Thoughts

While it's impossible to prevent every back-to-school bug, encouraging good hygiene habits, keeping your child home when they're unwell, and having the right OTC medicines on hand can help your family navigate the school year with confidence.

For more practical advice on preparing your child for the new school year, read our back-to-back preparation guide!

FAQs

How long do germs stay on surfaces?
Which school spots carry the most germs?
Do kids carry more germs than adults?
Can antibiotics treat most back-to-school bugs?

How long do germs stay on surfaces?

It depends on the type of germ and the surface. Some viruses survive for only a few hours, while others can remain on hard surfaces for weeks or even months. Regular hand washing and cleaning frequently touched surfaces can help reduce the spread of infection.

Which school spots carry the most germs?

Germs are most commonly found on high-touch surfaces, including:

Door handles
Classroom desks
Shared keyboards and tablets
Sports equipment
Toilet flushes and taps
Shared toys and stationery
Water fountain spigots
Cafeteria trays and plates

Do kids carry more germs than adults?

Young children often catch and spread infections more easily because their immune systems are still developing and they're more likely to have close contact with classmates. Younger children may also be less consistent with hand washing and avoiding touching their face.

Can antibiotics treat most back-to-school bugs?

No. Most common back-to-school illnesses, including colds, coughs and viral sore throats, are caused by viruses, so antibiotics won't help. Instead, treatment usually focuses on relieving symptoms while your child's immune system clears the infection.