Do your bit to keep antibiotics working

The 18th – 24th November is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. We are asking schools to help support the campaign and share information about how to reduce viral transmission. We’ve drafted an article below for newsletters to remind people of the small things they can do to help reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses.  

Public Health England have put together some great resources which can be used in school, showing the children the importance of washing their hands, along with some fun and gross facts! Did you know that a sneeze can travel the length of a double decker bus? 

You can download the posters below: 

What are Microbes?  

Meet the bugs 

Beat the bugs – spreading the bugs 

 

Do your bit to keep antibiotics working  

It’s that time of year when the weather is getting colder and we may be more susceptible to colds and other bugs going around.  

Antibiotics are essential to treat bacterial infections, but they do not work on viruses, so antibiotics cannot treat infections such as colds and flu. Taking antibiotics when they may not be needed, encourages harmful bacteria that live inside us to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when we really need them.  

There are some key things that we can all do to keep our antibiotics working: 

• Prevent infections and stop them spreading by:  

• checking you and your family have had all your immunisations 
• washing your hands regularly with soap and water (especially before eating, after going to the toilet, and after coughing/sneezing) 

• catching coughs/sneezes in a tissue (and binning it) 

• Remember, cold/flu viruses and stomach viruses, like norovirus, can’t be treated with antibiotics - they usually get better with rest, fluids and over-the-counter remedies.  
• Only take antibiotics when you need them, when advised by your GP.  
• Always take your healthcare professional’s advice on antibiotics 
• Always take the full course of any antibiotics you are prescribed and never share with others. 

For more information, and for ways to help the fight against antibiotic resistance, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antibiotics/