Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 18 : Fall 2013 | Page 79

Healthy You:

Clean Hands
Save Lives
by Kim Jones,
Cary Medical Center

I have a slightly exaggerated yet not entirely unearned
reputation for being a germaphobe. Yes, I am the girl who
has hand sanitizer in her purse at all times, travels with
disinfectant wipes in her suitcase, and flushes public toilets
with her foot. But I wouldn’t say that I obsess about the
microorganisms trying to take me down. I have come to
terms with knowing there are more germs
under my watch than there are people
in Europe. Just because I’ve made my
peace with the science, however, doesn’t
mean I’m ready to throw in the towel
when it comes to minimizing my risk of
‘catching something’.

around an arsenal of disinfectants. Surveys conducted with
thousands of people in five large US cities revealed that 95
percent of the population claims to wash their hands after
using a toilet. Monitoring of public bathrooms, however,
revealed that number is actually closer to 65 percent. That
means for every ten people, about four of them don’t wash
after pottying. In New York City, that
number dropped to even less with fewer
than half of the population washing their
hands after using the bathroom. Yikes!
Or rather, YUCK! (Chicago ranked best
with 83 percent of people lathering up
in the bathroom.) With the number of
germs on hands more than doubling
after using the toilet, it’s easy to see why
this one factor alone is problematic
from a health standpoint. But wait…
it gets worse.

December
is
National
Hand
Washing
Month!

The fact is 80 percent of all infectious
diseases are transmitted through
hand contact. “When we touch a
contaminated object and then touch
our nose, mouth, or other open orifice,
we run the risk of introducing germs
into our bodies that can cause very
serious illness, such as influenza, staph
infection, or salmonella,” said Ann
King, RN, CIC, Cary Medical Center
Infection Control. “The reverse is also
true in that we transfer these infectioncausing microbes from our bodies onto objects where they
can be picked up by someone else.”

With the average adult touching as many as 30 objects
within a minute, our exposure to germs is unavoidable.
Frequently used objects like doorknobs, handrails, and light
switches rarely (if ever) get washed making them perfect
places to harbor bacteria, virus, and fungi. These microbes
can survive for up to 18 hours on hard surfaces. Therefore,
even if something looks clean or hasn’t been used for awhile
doesn’t mean it’s germ-free. So how do we protect ourselves
from this relentless attack on our immune system? “The
single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs that
cause illness is proper hand hygiene,” said King.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
recommends you wash your hands with
soap and water for at least 15 seconds
(with more recent research revealing that
30 seconds is best). This is how long
it takes to properly scrub both hands
and significantly decrease the presence
of infectious microbes on them. What’s the average wash
time, you might ask? A mere 9 seconds. “Even if you’re
diligent about washing your hands when you’re supposed
to, chances are you’re still not effectively getting the job
done,” said King.

And for those who think hand washing is overrated and
unimportant, think again. The World Health Organization
estimates that one million deaths every year could be
prevented if everyone routinely washed their hands.
According to King, proper hand hygiene is as important
as vaccinations when it comes to preventing the spread of
several infectious illnesses. “It’s not just a matter of removing
dirt and eliminating odors. Hygiene truly impacts your
health and the health of those you come into contact with
I wish everyone washed their hands as often as recommended, both directly and indirectly.” Remember, 80 percent all
but, sadly, this is not the case - hence the reason I haul infectious diseases are transmitted by touch.
FALL 2013

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