The Sneeve -- or sneeze sleeve -- aims to curb flu spread
PORT WASHINGTON, Long Island -- Some local students are trying a new technique to stop the flu epidemic before it spreads, literally wearing their protection on their sleeves.
It's called a Sneeve, and it's helping kids arm themselves to fight back.
We saw it in action as students squeezed out a sneezing lesson at a pre-K class at the Port Washington Children's Center.
And this time of year, from the playground to the actual ground to your sleeve, the flu is the biggest concern. And so Stan Bratskeir had an a-ha moment. It was actually a few years ago, as he watched his grandson repeatedly sneeze into his elbow.
"But it's sort of gross," Bratskeir said. "So I said, Chase, you know what you need? You need a Sneeve."
It sounds like a Dr. Seuss word, but it is now a reality. And the full-day nursery school has been testing the Sneeve since November. Kids with a cold either put it on at school or at home, and the stretchy, disposable fabric is treated with a safe anti-microbial.
The creator makes no promise that this is a cure-all, and that's why he's been doing studies to collect data.
The school continues to emphasize all prevention methods, especially frequent hand washing. On Friday, four of the 18 students in the class were absent, but the school director said that's an improvement over last year and that attendance is critical to their working parents.
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