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Jun 24, 2023

FOX13 INVESTIGATES: Checking your child's school items for germs

FOX13 Memphis Reporter FOX13 INVESTIGATES: Checking your child's school items for germs MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Kids. They’re cute. They’re curious. But they’re not always clean. Starting Monday, tens of

FOX13 Memphis Reporter

FOX13 INVESTIGATES: Checking your child's school items for germs

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Kids.

They’re cute. They’re curious.

But they’re not always clean.

Starting Monday, tens of thousands of Memphis students will be back in the classroom.

So will their runny noses, wet coughs and loud sneezes.

That’s why hand-washing has never been more critical.

“There are germs everywhere,” said Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, a Memphis infectious disease specialist. “Not just around us but in us and on us.”

With their parents’ permission, an adorable kindergartener and second grader agreed to allow FOX13 to ‘swab’ commonly touched items by kids!

“I think the iPad will have the most germs,” said Faith, the kindergartener who owns an iPad with a rainbow butterfly case.

In an unscientific experiment (and with the girls’ help), FOX13 swabbed a crayon, marker, iPad, toy, backpack, clean hands and dirty hands.

We used an overhead light and a desk heater to incubate the germs in petri dishes over the course of five days at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can you guess what was the germiest?

By far, the backpack!

Encountering germs is inevitable. However, healthy kids have tough immune systems that can defend against a number of germy surfaces.

“Our immune system, thankfully, is an incredible machine that can really take out a lot of invaders very efficiently,” Dr. Threlkeld told FOX13.

Washing our hands thoroughly and frequently is the best way to prevent sickness this school year. Have these conversations before your child enters the classroom again.

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