HEALTH BEAT 3-1-2002

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts March 2002
March 2002
Short Cuts:
HEALTH BEAT

Wash your hands!

It’s worth repeating: The most effective way to ward off illness is to be diligent about hand washing.

Apparently, some folks either don’t care or aren’t listening. The Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) estimates that an alarming one out of every three people do not wash their hands after using the rest room.

In addition to colds, more serious diseases such as hepatitis A and meningitis are easily spread through simple contact such as a handshake.

Washing with soap and water is still the easiest and cheapest way to stay germ free. All it takes is 10-15 seconds of vigorous scrubbing, making sure to get between fingers and under the nails.

The only caveat: Some studies indicate that public rest rooms might harbor more germs on the faucet or paper towel dispenser than you might already have on your hands. One solution: Carry an over-the-counter hand sanitizer. These alcohol-based solutions effectively kill up to 99.99 percent of bacteria, according to the CDC, and they come in a variety of scents.

• Eric Enright