3 months ago
Danielle Finney spends her mornings with a class full of tireless 2-year-olds, but with the mercury dropping on the thermometer, preparing to take her group outside comes with a checklist.
"Gloves, scarves, hats, the whole nine," said Finney, a teacher at Children's Sesame Day Care and Learning Center. "Put our jackets on and try to put their hoods on if they have them."
Finney says she checks all those things, but not just because parents request it.
"If you have one of them get sick from not wearing a jacket, then pretty much your whole class is gonna get sick," said Finney.
You would have a hard time convincing her that bundling up to head out won't do anything to keep you from catching a cold.
"Yes, that would surprise me," she said.
Dr. David Harvey, Director of the North Central Health District says arming yourself with layers doesn't make you less likely to get sick.
"Just being in a cold environment does not generally cause you to be more susceptible to colds," said Harvey.
Unless you're out for extended periods of time with extreme temperatures, Harvey says that coat and hood will only help make you feel more comfortable.
"If it's two below zero, that's different, but if you're talking about Georgia weather, it really doesn't," he said.
He says being around sick people will leave you with a cold, and covering coughs and washing hands is the best defense.
"It's a respiratory virus, and if anybody has it near you and they cough or sneeze on you, then you're very likely to catch it whether you're cold or hot or in between," said Harvey.
Still, Finney says she won't take her chances.
"It's probably best to have them put it on even though they might not catch a cold from not wearing a jacket," she said, at least that will give her a little more peace of mind during playtime.
