DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — An owner of a Dublin lice clinic wants to allay fears and educate parents about the contagious parasite as the new school year progresses.
Christine Cherry of Lice Clinics of America told NBC4 that business at her head lice treatment center is only now returning to pre-pandemic levels. Cherry said that although the newest CDC guidelines on head lice date before COVID-19, lice policies vary by school district.
In an email, Cherry pointed out just how common lice is among school-aged children in the U.S.
“While studies vary, it is safe to say that one in five children have lice at any given time during the school year,” Cherry said. “Because of this, schools generally encourage parents to screen their children for lice regularly just as they would be aware of symptoms of the common cold.”
The treatment expert also shared key information on a plan of action for parents if they discover lice.
“There is a difference between sending a child to school with ‘nits’ or eggs and active lice,” Cherry said. “If a person has lice they will likely have eggs but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have an active case of lice that is contagious. It is virtually impossible to remove every single egg. This is why multiple topical treatments are required to handle a lice infestation. It is recommended to perform at least three topical treatments [of over-the-counter products] over the course of 12 days. It is important to follow the life cycle of lice.”
According to Cherry, professional lice treatments can speed up getting rid of the insect.
“Our treatment is done in one visit with no follow-up because our device is 99.2% effective at killing eggs and we guarantee our treatments,” Cherry said. “Some prescription medications can also kill eggs however, the efficacy of these methods ranges between 80% and 87%.”
Additionally, Cherry said that cases of head lice are “unnecessarily stigmatized” and that “education is important to shift the general consensus.” She added that the parasitic insect is often confused with bed bugs which can live for months without feeding on a human host.
“Head lice will not survive off of the human head,” Cherry said. “Because of this misunderstanding, families often focus too much on cleaning the home when the focus should be primarily on the head. It is not likely a person will contract lice from anything other than head-to-head contact.”