OCTOBER 15 – Did you miss the ‘Global HandWashing Day’ as well?

The driving theme for Global Handwashing Day is children and schools, and the main objectives of this global celebration are: • Foster & support global culture of handwashing with soap. • Shine a light on state of handwashing in each country. • Raise awareness about benefits of handwashing with soap. Read more at: GlobalHandWashingDay.org and remember: Handwashing & Hand Hygiene is the major prevention against swine flu! A funny recommendation: “Wash your hands with hands!” A few more important reminders in the perspective of the current H1N1 swine flue pandemic are: • Don’t think that you can wash your hands properly without using soap! • Don’t think that a hand sanitizer is meant to replace handwashing! • The best way to make sure your hands are clean is to wash them for twenty seconds several times a day! MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE AT: • Hands on ‘hand hygiene’! • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • More hand hygiene news!

HAND HYGIENE – Still the best strategy for swine flu prevention? (H1N1 influenza virus)

Is hand hygiene still the best strategy for swine flu prevention?

Research on hand hygiene & swine flu (H1N1 influenza) prevention! New research points out: ‘hand-to-face touch’ is a crucial link in catching swine flu and infection is likely not limited to body-contact! The global death toll arrived beyond 5000, and the stronger ‘momentum’ of the second wave of the H1N1 virus is now observed on 3 continents.

On wednesday september 8, Barack Obama told students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia: “I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.” But the new reports indicate that washing hands is likely not enough to stop the H1N1 influenza virus – so it does make sense that governments recommend an anti-virus swine flu shot! Anyway, just remember: ‘… think about your hand hygiene!’ SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • A kiss is healthier than a handshake! • Your health is in your hands! • More hand hygiene reports!

SURVEY: Swine flu doesn’t change hand washing habits!

Hands on hand hygiene: how good is your hand washing habit? A new US survey has indicated that despite the swine flu, many people haven’t changed their washing hands habits. Did you try to improve your hand washing habit? The survey was conducted online July 28-31 and involved 1,020 American adults across the country aged 18 to 65. Jon Dommisse, director of marketing and product development at Bradley Corporation (conductor of the survey) said: “…they wash their hands no more or less frequently. We found the response to the H1N1 question extremely surprising, especially since the medical community has said over and over that hand washing is the best defense against the spread of cold and flu viruses.” Overall, 87 percent of respondents said they did wash their hands after using public lavatories, but other responses indicated that some may have exaggerated how often they actually did the job correctly. When asked if they had also used soap, the numbers declined only slightly, to 86 percent; yet 55 percent of the group admitted on occasion they’ve simply rinsed, without using soap. Just remember… THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION SAYS … HAND WASHING IS CRITICAL IN PREVENTING ILLNESS!!! Only a few days ago a few more swine flu facts were described by World Health Organisation Director General Margaret Chan in an interview: “…This virus [H1N1 influenza A] travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard of speed. In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover. … Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems. This means that 40 percent of the fatalities concern young adults – in good health – who die of a viral fever in five to seven days. This is the most worrying fact, up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected …While 90 percent of severe and fatal cases occur in people aged above 65 in seasonal flu, most of those who die from swine flu are under the age of 50.” MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE AT: • Hands on ‘hand hygiene’! • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • More hand hygiene news!

‘Wash your hands with hands’ – the perfect swine flu related present!

Foliage’s funny handsoap – ‘click’ for larger versions! “Wash your hands with hands” – the perfect swine flu related present! Are you looking for a funny ‘swine flu’ present? Then the Foliage handsoap might be the perfect present: 10 little hand made handsoaps in a pretty little bag. Each bag includes about 100grams of handsoap with various skin-ish colors and sizes (varying from 0.5 to 2.0 inch tall). A unique soap gadget shaped like little hands – definitely a funny ‘swine flu gift’! SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • Wash your hands with hands – Foliage handsoap product review! • Hands on hand hygiene: basics, products & swine flu news! • Barack Obama about hand hygiene • The 10 commandments of hand hygiene! • Fingernails & your health!

Hands on hand hygiene: Obama’s council of advisors about the swine flu!

Swine flu prevention starts with proper hand hygiene! Did you know that the average hand hygiene compliance rate is only 40%? That’s a major concern in the perspective of the swine flu pandemic – especially since governments has stated worldwide that hand hygiene is one of the few effective tools to prevent infection with the H1N1 influenza A virus! While the Medline hand hygiene compliance program was initially developed as a combat against healthcare acquired conditions, now it the program can serve as an additional tool for to stop the swine flu pandemic (a.k.a. the Mexican flu). Earlier this week the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released a report describing a plausible scenario saying: “…swine flu pandemic could: • produce infection of 30-50% of the U.S. population this fall and winter; • cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the United States concentrated among children and young adults.” While the annual deaths associated with seasonal flu in the United States is only 30,000-40,000 mainly among people over 65! Remember, on wednesday july 29 (2009), Barack Obama told the Americans that swine flu prevention is not only an issue of the governement, individuals must also do their part. Obama said: “Keep your hands washed, cover your mouth when you cough, stay home from work if you are sick, keep your children home from school if they are sick.” SO, IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR PREVENTION AGAINST THE H1N1 INFLUENZA A VIRUS … THINK ABOUT YOUR HAND HYGIENE!!! MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE AT: • Hands on ‘hand hygiene’! • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Obama’s council of advisors about the swine flu! • Barack Obama’s recommendation for swine flu prevention: the fist bump!

Swine flu battle hits Brazilian priests: ‘no holding hands, nor shaking hands’ – God doesn’t provide immunisation!

Priests reinforce the ’10 commandments for hand hygiene’!: Last week two Brazilian priests made various recommendations on hand hygiene guidelines for religious meetings. Changing religious habits appears to another tool for containing the swine flu in Latin America’s largest country. The Brazilian Roman Catolic priest Roberto Francisco Daniel (a.k.a. ‘Padre Beto’) told his congregation: “…not to hold hands while saying the Lord’s Prayer and to refrain from shaking hands and kissing in his morning mass to avoid getting swine flu. At least if you don’t have skin touching, you eliminate contact with secretions of somebody infected.” Recently ‘Padre Beto’ faced a dilemma when called to a hospital to bless a Catholic with the swine flu. But he had to decline the request, following a recommendation from the hospital crew. “Even religious matters need to have a limit” Padre Beto said. “I asked them to tell her we were praying for her.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • Hand Hygiene: warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands! • Hand gel sales rocket in the UK due to swine flu fears! • Barack Obama’s recommendation for swine flu prevention: the fist bump! • More swine flu prevention: the 10 commandments for hand hygiene! • The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic!

Hand hygiene: the first step in swine flu prevention!

Hand hygiene is the first step towards swine flu prevention!

Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! Last week it became official: the UK and US government recommend ‘hand hygiene’ as the first step in swine flu prevention. And last wednesday Barack Obama told the American people: ‘Wash your hands’! Applying hand hygiene: what does that really mean? Let’s take a look at what is need for HAND HYGIENE!!”

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS FOR ‘HAND HYGIENE’! - 1 - “Wash your hands regularly with soap and water water, do not forget to scrub between your fingers and the back of your hands!” - 2 - “Use paper wipes for drying your hands, no warm air dryers!” - 3 - “Do not touch food before washing your hands!” - 4 - “When sneezing use a tissue, and throw the tissue away quickly and carefully!” - 5 - “When coughing use a tissue, not your hands!” - 6 - “Do not put your fingers in your mouth, do not bite your fingernails!” - 7 - “Do not shake hands, and avoid the fist bump!” - 8 - “After shaking hands or other skin contact, wash your hands as soon as possible!” - 9 - “Avoid touching objects in public spaces!” - 10 - “When using antimicrobial/antiseptic soap, combine with using hand oil/lotion, to avoid dry hand injuries!” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • A kiss is healthier than a handshake! • Your health is in your hands! • warning: why hand sanitizers may increase risk of swine flu exposure! • How to stop the swine flu? No handshaking, try Barack Obama’s fist bump!

How to stop the swine flu? No handshaking, try Barack Obama’s fist bump!

Last year you could have seen president Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle doing the fist bump on many occasion during the election campaign. Now Obama’s lovely greeting gesture might help to stop the swine flu epedimic! Why? Swine flu prevention has become for a large part become a matter of “hand hygiene”, so the handshake is now no longer recommended to greet other people in daily life. Instead the fist bump is much more harmless in terms of hand hygiene! Philip M. Tierno Jr., PhD, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Centre says: “Eighty percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted by contact both direct and indirect – direct such as kissing, indirect such as shaking someone’s hand. Frequent hand washing is the single most important weapon we have against the swine flu disease.” With the all the focus on H1NI or swine flu, the alternative of the fist bump might become very helpfull in the battle with the ‘influenza A’ virus. For, over the past weeks various reports from around the world indicate that despite the danger, people find it very hard not to use the handshake merely because in many countries handshaking has become so normal – especially in the business and workplace etiquette! So, don’t hesitate … no handshaking anymore, try the obama’s fistbump! SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • The history of the fist bump! • Shake it up Barack Obama: let’s do the fist bump! • The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic! • What the swine flu could do to a young girl in Uganda!

Health warning: why hand sanitizers may increase risk of swine flu exposure!

Recently Q-Based Healthcare, a producer of non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers, warned: ‘alcoholic hand sanitizers increase risk of swine flu exposure’. Why can many hand sanitizers (such as the popular Dettol) cause more health problems than they prevent? Recent news reports indicate that retail stores are seeing a dangerous reduction in the inventory levels of hand sanitizer. As more people become concerned and flock to the stores to stock up on alcohol-based hand sanitizers, a bigger crisis is being created. Did you know that alcohol-based sanitizers work by stripping away residue from the hands, and unfortunately that includes the natural oils produced by our body? Most hand wipes and liquid hand sanitizers are alcohol based (or petroleum). The problem with these products is that Alcohol dries the skin causing cracks – creating an opening which provides a direct pathway for disease to the human bloodstream. That’s why the use of hand sanitizers may actually worsen the current major global health threat: the mexican flu (a.k.a. the swine flu)! When a hand sanitizer includes an alcohol or a petroleum by-product, that hand wash also presents a real possibility for toxic exposure, whether it includes organic ingredients or not! Source: PR Web SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • Hand Hygiene: Warm Air Dryers increase Bacteria on Hands! • What are the missing spots during hand washing? How to use hand sanitizers properly?

The swine flu etiquette: use good hand hygiene, no handshaking, no mask, to prevent a pandemic!

DO YOU KNOW the “etiquette rules” to prevent a swine flu pandemic? It is all about hand hygiene & no handshakes! Six of the most important swine flue etiquette rules to prevent a swine flue pandemic – all are related to hand hygiene – are: • No handshaking! – No handshake, high five, nor intimate greatings such as: beso-beso, touching cheeks, air kisses; • Do not sneeze nor cough in your hands! – Use a handkerchief, tissue, or your t-shirt; • Wash your hands frequently! – Even at home, and don’t forget the soap; • Wash your hands before and after eating! Additional options are: • You can use alcohol hand cleaners when washing your hand; • The ultimate protection is to stay at home & wear a face mask – though the experts agree that the biggest benefit of a mask is when they are worn by those who are already sick! Dr. Richard Besser (acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control) says: “I would rather people really focus on hand washing, not giving that little kiss of greeting when you’re meeting someone, of doing those sorts of things, covering your cough and your sneeze.” Source: The Canadian Press