Why 95% peoples do not Wash Their Hands Properly after Toilet?

 

Importance of hand washing

This is very interesting study. Are you one of them?

Importance of hand washing

Hands spread infections. Serious consequences can result when unclean hands are not washed. It is necessary to wash hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose, changing a diaper, before and after caring for someone who is ill, before eating or preparing food and after cleaning up animal waste and touching garbage. An alcohol-based gel cleanser or soap and water are both effective methods of cleaning the hands, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When should you wash your hands?

•Before, during, and after preparing food

•Before eating food

•Before and after caring for someone who is sick

•Before and after treating a cut or wound

•After using the toilet

•After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

•After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

•After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

•After touching garbage

 

 

What known infections we can get?

1. Nosocomial Infections

Infections that are acquired in hospitals and other health facilities are known as nosocomial infections. In the U.S., approximately 90,000 patients die every year from these infections, says the July-August 2005 issue of "Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology." Lack of necessary hand washing by health facility employees is cited as the major cause of nosocomial infections. It is estimated that proper hand washing by doctors, nurses and other health care workers would reduce these deadly infections by 40 percent, explains an article in the October 2009 journal "Deutsches Ärzteblatt International."

2. Viral gastroenteritis

This virus is sometimes called the stomach flu, is a contagious viral infection that causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and watery diarrhea result from infection with germs such as noroviruses and rotoviruses. Food preparers infected with viral gastroenteritis spread the infection to others by contaminating food and beverages with their unwashed hands, according to the CDC. Shellfish contaminated by sewage and close contact with infected people also spread viral gastroenteritis. Although most people recover fully, dehydration and death can result for infants, young children and persons who are elderly or have a weakened immune system.

3. Colds and Flu

Colds and flu are spread by droplets in the air from the coughs and sneezes of infected people. The droplets cause illness when they are inhaled by others, or when they land on surfaces. When others touch the contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs, railings, computer keyboards, phones and pens, and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth, infection can result. Bacteria and viruses can live for two hours or longer on contaminated surface, the CDC says. To prevent colds and flu, hands should be washed frequently. People who are infected should cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then wash their hands afterward

New research- Only 5% Wash Their Hands properly after going To the Toilet

Just 5% of people wash their hands long enough to destroy infectious germs after using the bathroom, researchers from Michigan State University reported in the Journal of Environmental Health. Even more worrying, the authors added that 10% skipped washing their hands altogether, while 33% used no soap at all. It appears that men are less inclined to wash their hands after going to the toilet than women. Lead researcher, Prof. Carl Borchgrevink, and team gathered and analyzed data on 3,749 people in public restrooms. Borchgrevink said, these findings were surprising to us because past research suggested that proper hand washing is occurring at a much higher rate.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that the one thing people can do to lower the spread of infectious diseases is to maintain good hand hygiene. US public health authorities say that nearly 50% of foodborne illness outbreaks in the country are due to bad hand hygiene, which not only refers to people who do not wash their hands, but also to those who do not do it properly. In order to kill off the germs, all it takes are 15 to 20 seconds of vigorous hand washing with soap and water, says the CDC. However, according to the study, most people spend around six seconds during each hand washing session.

Borchgrevink and team trained twelve college students on how to gather data, and sent them out to watch how many people wash their hands, and how well they wash them in the restrooms of restaurants, bars and other public places. They tried to be as unobtrusive as they could. Borchgrevink says this is one of the few studies on hand hygiene that takes into account duration and soap usage.

The researchers found that:

15% of men and 7% of women did not wash their hands

Only 50% of the men and 78% of the women who did wash their hands used soap

Dirty sinks were more likely to be avoided altogether - no hand washing was more commonly observed in bathrooms with dirty sinks

Good hand hygiene was more prevalent earlier in the day. The authors believe that during the evenings/night times, when people are out eating and drinking, they are in a more relaxed mode and hand hygiene becomes less of a priority

Signs encouraging people to wash their hands seem to help. Hand washing was more prevalent in bathrooms with signs. Borchgrevink said their study has implications for both consumers and people who operate hotels and restaurants. Before becoming a researcher, Borchgrevink worked as a restaurant manager and also as a chef. Borchgrevink said, Imagine you're a business owner and people come to your establishment and get foodborne illness through the fecal-oral route - because people didn't wash their hands - and then your reputation is on the line. You could lose your business."

Good hand hygiene not only protects the general public from the spread of infections, it is also a vital part of keeping hospital acquired infections down to a minimum. The Clean Your Hands Campaign played a major role in reducing some healthcare associated infections in English and Welsh hospitals.