Wash your hands, Meritus infection prevention experts say

How vigilant are you when it comes to washing your hands?

As we shuffle farther into cold and flu season, handwashing is even more vital, according to Cathy Ware and Tommie Blalock, infection prevention specialists at Meritus Health.

To better understand why, think of your hands as a vehicle, like a bus, Blalock said.

“Germs need a vehicle, and one of the vehicles they like to ride are our hands,” he said.

And there are all sorts of bad bugs sitting on things we touch, waiting for a ride.

“One of our biggest culprit are respiratory viruses,” Ware said. “They’re all sort of lumped together. Rhinovirus, flu, etc.”

But stomach bugs also get transmitted a lot, especially at this time of year when we gather together to share meals.

“At Thanksgiving, we tend to see an uptick in stomach flu,” Blalock said. “People are sharing spatulas and spoons, so germs can be passed that way.”

And while the viruses might not make you sick, they are still hitching that ride and could make someone else sick, such as an older family member or an infant, Ware and Blalock said.

How do you wash your hands?

So, you’re convinced you need to step up your handwashing game. Do you know the proper motions?

The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and numerous other health organizations generally recommend these steps:

• After getting your hands wet with water and adding soap, rub your palms together. 
• Put your right palm over the back of your left hand, then rub in between your fingers. Repeat with your left palm over the back of your right hand.
• Put your palms together and rub between your fingers again.
• Put your right-hand fingertips overtop of your left-hand fingertips, then make a fist with both hands so your fingers interlock. Rub the backs of your fingers in your palms.
• Wrap your left thumb with your right hand, then rotate back and forth, like you’re revving a motorcycle. Repeat with the right thumb and left hand.
• Scrub your fingernails of your right hand on the palm of your left hand. Repeat, switching hands.
• Rinse your hands with water and dry your hands thoroughly with a single-use towel. Use that same towel to turn off the water before you throw the towel in the trash.

Ware and Blalock said the order doesn’t necessarily matter, and the water can be hot or cold, “though for comfort, I’d imagine they’d prefer warm,” Ware said.

What’s the difference between soap and water and hand sanitizer?

“The most important thing is the mechanical moving of your hands that moves the germs off,” Blalock said. “Water washes the germs away. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer kills the germs, well, most of them.”

That’s why soap and water is more effective than using hand sanitizer, they said. But, if that’s all you have, follow the same steps and make sure the sanitizer is at least 60% alcohol.

And while hand sanitizer is good at killing most respiratory viruses, there are some gastrointestinal germs that are resistant to alcohol.

“It’s still better than nothing,” Blalock said.

For those who unfortunately find themselves in the hospital, there are things you can do beyond washing your own hands to help prevent the spread of germs.

Throughout Meritus Medical Center there are “cough stations,” which include hand sanitizer, masks and tissues, Ware said. Also, there are many hand sanitizer pumps throughout the hospital, positioned at the entrance to patient rooms.

The hospital also has a commitment to hand hygiene, meaning every healthcare provider is to wash their hands before visiting with a patient.

“Question your caregivers,” Blalock said. “Did you do your hand hygiene? And encourage any visitors you might have, too.”

For the latest, up-to-date information on the flu season, viral illnesses, testing, treatment, and vaccination options, please visit MeritusHealth.com/Viralillness.