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November 25, 2004
Prairie Fare: Proper Hand Washing Important During the Cold and Flu Season
“Did you wash your hands?” I asked my two older kids as they popped into their places at the dinner table. “Yes,” they both answered. “Did you use soap?” I continued. “Yep!” was the reply. My 6-year-old daughter pointed at my son, “But he didn’t wash his hands long enough!” “How long should you wash your hands?” I quizzed. “We should wash our hands for 20 seconds,” pausing to grin at me and then looking at her brother through narrowed eyes. My 9-year-old son gave her an “I’ll get you later” look and trudged back to the sink. I decided I didn’t mind tattling if it means fewer colds and less flu in our house this season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refers to hand washing as the single most important means of preventing the spread of disease. About 150 years ago, a doctor connected the alarming rate of hospital infections in the maternity ward to medical students who helped deliver babies after taking anatomy lessons in the autopsy room. They didn’t wash their hands. We’ve learned a lot since then. Hand washing helps protect us from catching colds and flu. In a Navy research project, “Operation Stop Cough,” 40,000 recruits were trained in proper hand washing and instructed to wash their hands five times a day. When the hand washing regimen was implemented, rates of colds, flu and pneumonia were 45 percent lower than the previous year. Hand washing helps prevent foodborne illness, too. An estimated 40 percent to 50 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks in food service are linked to poor hand washing practices. In one study, food service workers, who didn’t know they were being monitored, washed their hands only twice in an eight-hour shift. When they knew they were monitored, they washed their hands eight times. When no longer monitored (to their knowledge), hand-washing rates dropped to twice per shift. Unfortunately, many families including mothers are forgetting to wash their hands. Moms probably are too busy reminding the kids. When 100 families were videotaped in their kitchens and probably on their best behavior, researchers noted many mothers skipped soap when washing their hands. They also used the same towel to wipe up stray meat juice and then dried their hands with it. Only 45 percent washed their hands when needed and just 30 percent used soap. Here’s How to Properly Wash Your Hands:
If hands become excessively cracked, have eczema or another skin condition, follow your health-care provider’s recommendations about hand washing. In this case, too much hand washing could lead to cracking and infections. Here’s a beverage mix to keep you warm during the upcoming cold season. It’s a good source of calcium, too.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
