From the Internet
Americans Washing Hands of Basic Hygiene
Only 2 in 3 clean up after using bathroom
By Edward Edelson
HealthSCOUT Reporter
MONDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthSCOUT) -- Shame on you, America. You're not washing your hands after you go to the bathroom.
This is not a joking matter, says Judy Daly, secretary of the American Society of Microbiology. Hand washing after doing the necessary in a bathroom is a simple, basic way to reduce the risk of an infection that can sicken you and even threaten your life.
"It is a serious issue because the infectious organisms we are seeing these days are becoming more and more resistant to treatment," Daly says. "With a little soap and water and friction, you can circumvent their spread from person to person and to yourself."
But a national survey that included telephone interviews of 1,021 adults and even had observers watching how 7,836 persons behaved in public restrooms in four cities found that a substantial portion of the population is not performing that basic protective measure.
A likely story
Overall, while 95 percent of those questioned swore that they always wash their hands after using a public restroom, only 67 percent do as they say, the survey found.
The reasons, says Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the hospitals infection program at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are twofold. "One, people are not aware of how important it can be," she says, "and two, they are in a hurry."
There's also an unawareness of how bacteria and viruses are spread. Many people think the big problem is coughing and sneezing, but "most common infectious disease agents, including diarrhea-causing viruses, are spread on the hands of people," Gerberding says.
And the danger is growing, Daly says. "Our water supply is growing more dirty. Our food supply is growing more dirty," she says. "There is an increase in lots of infections, such as salmonella and shigella. All of the gastrointestinal pathogens are on the increase."
So the American Society for Microbiology and the CDC are running a Clean Hands Campaign. The campaign goes beyond the bathroom, recommending hand washing before and after handling food, before eating and after handling pets, and, of course, when coming in contact with a sick person.
Hand washing can be a money saver, Gerberding adds: "It is cheap, easy and effective. If you wash your hands, you don't need to resort to chemicals and antibiotics."
