There was a time when each grammar school student was check weekly for head lice. There are many places in the world where head checks are still routine. When lice are found, the student goes home, and stays home, until the lice and their eggs are no longer visible. But recently, schools with the “No Nit” policy have been challenged.
Lice (sometimes called Nits) are blood-feeding parasites. Definitely not as cool as the “Twilight” clan, lice do not hop or fly, they crawl. Females lay about six eggs a day, and hatch when close to the warmth of the human scalp. Some folks think that this is reason enough for the lice-infected child to remain in school. Just because the nits don’t fly doesn’t convince me that they are not contagious.
Lice can infest the bedding, car seats, sleepwear, and favorite stuffed animal of the infected person. Any, and all, of these items that came in contact with the affected child 24 -48 hours BEFORE the lice were discovered, need to be properly cleaned. Experts add that everyone in the household needs to be checked for active lice and/or their eggs, as they can infest carpeting and furniture. How then is the child, who wrestled with Itchy Irving at recess, safe from a louse outbreak?
There are shampoos and nit-picking combs designed to kill and remove lice and their eggs. Washers and dryers reaching temperatures above 130 degrees are effective for killing lice in washable items. Otherwise, it is recommended to place an item in a plastic bag for two weeks, to suffocate the little nits. Seriously, do we still think infected kids should be in school?
Perhaps a better idea would be to design an online learning program for children who, for whatever reason, cannot be in school that day, or week, or month. Don’t be a nit wit. Keep our schools lice free.