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Handwashing
For
Your Health And Others
From staff reports
The Daily News
Published November 23, 2003
La Marque - Despite an
ever increasing threat from antibiotic-resistant “superbugs”
and emerging new illnesses, "a large number of people
have forgotten the single best piece of infection control
advice Mom ever gave them — always wash your hands
after you go the bathroom,” said Kurt Koopmann, Public
Information Officer for the Galveston County Health District.
Despite increased publicity
during the past several years about the importance of basic
hand-washing in limiting the spread of infectious disease,
studies have not shown an increase in the number of people
washing their hands when needed.
“While it may seem funny
at first, this is really a very serious issue. We really
need to help the public understand the importance of hand-washing,”
said Chuck Chambers, Epidemiologist with the Galveston County
Health District. “Hand-washing is the simplest, most
effective thing people can do to reduce the spread of infectious
diseases.”
Information provided by the
district shows that hand-washing is an effective front-line
defense against bacteria and other organisms which cause
colds, flu, skin problems and even deadly communicable diseases.
“Remember to wash your
hands after sneezing, after blowing or touching your nose
and after using the restroom,” according to Mark Guidry,
M.D., M.P.H., Health Authority, Galveston County Health
District. “Hands should be clean before you touch
your eyes, mouth, nose or any cuts or scrapes on the skin.”
Some studies show many people
only rinse their hands with water, which is not enough.
Public health officials recommend the following procedures,
especially after using a restroom and before eating:
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Wet your hands, then
lather them with soap.
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Rub them together
vigorously for at least 15 seconds.
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Cover the backs of
your hands, between fingers and even your wrists.
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Try to remove dirt
from under your fingernails
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Rinse well with warm
water
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Dry thoroughly with
a paper towel
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Use the towel to turn
off the faucet, and dispose of it properly
Proper hand-washing is important
to preventing the spread of communicable diseases. Chambers
said it is simple. “Soap is inexpensive, water is plentiful
and hand-washing doesn’t really take very much time,”
he said. “It is something everyone can do to reduce
health risks for themselves and others.”
Read the press release
For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
(409) 938-2211
kkoopman@gchd.org
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