What are the signs of MRSA?

The following is from the Mayo Clinic site.

MRSA infection: Signs and symptoms - MayoClinic.com

So scary.

I see you are from VA. I live in MD just north of DC. All the schools in the area are cleaning everything because of the "superbug". I am a teacher and today we clean desks, chairs, countertops,etc We have not had any cases of this disease but schools near to us have had some cases. Hopefully, this will disappear soon.

We have been washing hands a lot more, just in case. You never know where the person in front of you at the store has been, so better safe than sorry!

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Did anybody notice how they were cleaning the school desks? They ran a video piece on the news and they were using the same rag to clean all the desks in the schools where those children were infected. I don't know if I am too much of a germaphobe but, it seems to be if there was a deadly virus that could be picked up on desks and such, why are they using the same rag on every desk?

There are cases close to us.

Everything I've read and been told says to wash hands frequently (even without mrsa concerns). I wonder then, why the schools encourage hand sanitizer and wonder how this plays into the spread. Remember the little hands are either picking up the bottle or pushing the pump one right after the other. Hand washing allows turning off the faucet with a paper towel. Ok, I know they won't all use paper towels that way, it just seems to me tried and true hand washing is better than a spritz of sanitizer that may or may not be adequately applied.

dl

Just the past two days, I have read a lot about this superbug, which previously I had not heard of. Just yesterday, our Schooltown called and left a messege that a highschooler in our town was being treated for this. I do not have any kids in highschool, but I know all the kids ride the share the same bus system in our community. I appreciated the heads up, and hope there is no reason to worry. I always make the kids wash their hands before eating, but may request it as soon as they get home from school.

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Everyone get a pump hand sanitizer to keep in your car! I've had one in there for years and I always use it whenever I get into my car. I have it right between the two front seats so it's handy!

Washing hands with soap and water is the best defense. Over use of antibiotics and over use of hand sanitizers has IMHO help lead us to where we are now.

If antibiotics are used when they are not really needed, the infection or virus will adapt and learn how to become resistant to the antibiotics. Hand sanitizers are great if you cant get somewhere to wash your hands but using them all the time reduces the amount of germs that we are exposed to, in return our bodies are not building up antibodies needed to fight of diseases, infections and germs when we do encounter them.

We have a teacher at one of the high schools in our area infected with MRSA and several football players at another school. As of now they have taken the steps to close the classroom and clean it but I haven't heard what they are doing in regards to the football players.

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

We just got a notice about 2 students in my sons high school having this. They've recently returned to school.

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"Never loan your car to someone you have given birth too"

It's in our area. Also in my son's high school.

It is scary, and I believe what Darlene804 said is 100% correct. We have done this to ourselves, by making the doctor prescribe an antibiotic when your child just has a cold. Our bodies get immune to wonder drugs from years gone by. We gradually have needed stronger drugs to kill real germs. Not finishing a prescription when it is given to you. You feel better, so you stop taking it and save it for the next time. You just take enough to feel better, but not kill the germ. Making the germ resistant to that drug. Taking it up another notch.

All you can do is wash, wash and wash your hands, with plain old soap and water.

Keep cuts covered and don't touch any one else's cuts.

Stress it to your kids.

If you have any symptoms of MRSA, go to the doctor.

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Mary

Everything that was said about antibiotic is true. Most people don't realize that a cold is a virus and strep is bacteria. There are only 3 drugs that I know that fight viruses. There are many antibiotics that have been misused over the years since they were invented. Bacteria is alive. There is good bacteria and bad bacteria. When the bad takes over the good we get sick. Viruses are not alive. The only thing it can do is reproduce (it does not do any other life function). At one time we did not have any drug to fight viruses. Now we have a few meds which are used for life threatening viruses.

Not just pain soap and water but anti-bacteria soap.

My daughter has MRSA (her birth parents gave it to her). She has the kind that always comes back and is more of a skin infection then in her blood. These are her symptoms. 1. she gets a small red bump (like a bug bite). 2. the bump gets larger over a few days and is really painful. (She goes to the DR. and gets on meds) 3. the bump becomes the size of a dime and develops a white head. (the meds have also given her a diaper rash) 4. I have to squeeze the bump until all the stuff comes out (takes a few days, works better after a warm bath.) When dealing with MRSA you have to be sure to wear gloves and soak everything in bleach to kill the germs. After squeezing clean area with peroxide apply neosporne and cover with a band aid.

I have been dealing with this for 2 years now. If you notice anything like this please go see the DR. Let them decide what you should do. This is the way we treat DD it may not be the correct course for you to take (in fact the DR. didn't start letting me pop it until DDs 10th infection). I cannot stress how important it is to see a DR. if you think you may have it.

Itsjustme- You are so right! Bless you whatever you are doing! They are rampant! Please everyone, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, whatever is in your reach, we are in desperate situations.

Here are some tips to preventing MRSA. I found them at Webmd but they are from the CDC.

According to the CDC, here are some of the best ways to prevent MRSA.

* Wash your hands. Use soap and water or an alcohol-base hand sanitizer. Also, wash thoroughly. Experts suggest that you wash your hands for as long as it takes you to recite the alphabet.
* Cover cuts and scrapes with a clean bandage. This will help the wound heal. It will also prevent you from spreading bacteria to other people.
* Do not touch other people's wounds or bandages.
* Do not share personal items like towels or razors. If you use any shared gym equipment, wipe it down before and after you use it. Drying clothes, sheets, and towels in a dryer -- rather than letting them air dry -- helps kill bacteria.

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

I have worked in hospitals for 15 years and MRSA is not uncommon in our setting. My son is scared to death as there was a recent death at a nearby high school. Everything said here is totally correct. In the hospital we wear gloves and gowns with any MRSA infected person. I hope the schools are now supplying sani-wipes, especially in the school gyms. I worry a little because my son is taking weight training this year and there is no telling whether they ever clean the equipment. Just know that this is NOT anything new. It has just become more widespread recently for whatever reason. This type of infection is methycillan resistant staph areus. There are other antibiotics that can be used to treat this. They just have to culture the wound to find out which anitbiotic will work the best. Remind your kids to wash their hands alot. We are also rapidly approaching flu and cold season so this is very wise advice to give. I personally do not like hand sanitizers as I have very sensitive skin. I find soap and water the best method.

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yesterday my middle son had some red dots show up on his chest and back, and today they are bigger, I have no clue as to what they are from so he will be going to the doctors tommorow.....to me, better safe then sorry. My first thought was maybe chicken pox, but he's not itchy at all, thought maybe allergies, but can't account for anything that he came in contact to out of the ordinary....a couple look like they have heads coming up on them....

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