HI,
CNN is reporting that people
--get
colds from surfaces like hands
--get
flu from droplets in the air via coughs and sneezes
. . . so handwashing / and hand sanitizers do not work against flu.
And yes I am sleepy and anxious and overwhelmed and so maybe have some (LOTS) of anxiety.
And I work with lots of people.
M.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/24...ful/index.html
Some doubt hand washing stops H1N1
Quote:
According to some experts, you can wash your hands all you want, and it won't do much to stop the spread of influenza, including the H1N1 variety.
"Washing hands really is wonderful for preventing many diseases, such as the common cold, but it's not very helpful to prevent influenza," said Arthur Reingold, professor of epidemiology at the University of California-Berkeley.
I gave Reingold two scenarios. The first: I'm sitting in a movie theater next to -- but not touching -- someone with H1N1, and he sneezes and doesn't cover his mouth. The second: Someone with H1N1 rubs his nose, shakes my hand, and then I rub my nose. In which situation am I more likely to catch the flu?
That's easy, said Reingold, an infectious disease specialist who advises on vaccine policy for the World Health Organization. The theater incident is much more likely -- much, much more likely, he said -- to give me the flu, since inhaling particles results in a bigger dose of the virus.
A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees there isn't strong evidence that hand washing fights H1N1.
"We don't have solid data on the effect that hand washing has on the transmission of H1N1," CDC spokesman Tom Skinner wrote in an e-mail.
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