Hands on hand hygiene: what a palm reader should know about the swine flu!

Swine flu prevention means: proper hand hygiene! A new survey in the US has indicates that many people haven’t changed their hand washing habits – despite the swine flu outbreak. The survey revealed that 54 percent of the respondents said they “wash their hands no more or less frequently” in public restrooms as a result of the virus. A major concern in the perspective of the swine flu pandemic – especially since governments has stated worldwide that hand hygiene is one of the few effective tools to prevent infection with the H1N1 influenza A virus! While the Medline hand hygiene compliance program was initially developed as a combat against healthcare acquired conditions, now it the program can serve as an additional tool for to stop the swine flu pandemic (a.k.a. the Mexican flu). Earlier this week the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a report describing a plausible scenario saying: “…swine flu pandemic could: • produce infection of 30-50% of the U.S. population this fall and winter; • cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the United States concentrated among children and young adults.” While the annual deaths associated with seasonal flu in the United States is only 30,000-40,000 mainly among people over 65! Remember, on wednesday july 29 (2009), Barack Obama told the Americans that swine flu prevention is not only an issue of the governement, individuals must also do their part. Obama said: “Keep your hands washed, cover your mouth when you cough, stay home from work if you are sick, keep your children home from school if they are sick.” SO, IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR PREVENTION AGAINST THE H1N1 INFLUENZA A VIRUS … THINK ABOUT YOUR HAND HYGIENE!!! SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • Hands on ‘hand hygiene’! • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Obama’s council of advisors about the swine flu! • Survey: Swine flu doesn’t change washing habits!