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If it feels like your kid is more prone to pink eye in the winter, you’re right. Bacterial conjunctivitis, the formal name for that red itchy irritation, hits hardest from December through April, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Viral pink eye, the most common type, is very contagious as long as your child has symptoms. It tends to resolve itself in 5 to 7 days without treatment, while the bacterial type lasts 7 to 10. Both can spread via direct contact with eye discharge.

If he catches it, find out his school’s pink eye policy before keeping him out of class (many allow kids to return after 24 hours on antibiotic drops). You might not need to keep him home unless he has other symptoms like a fever, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). If symptoms worsen after a few days, see your doctor.