Unwashed hands are responsible for the spread of 80 per cent of infectious diseases, according to medical experts.
MANY people underestimate the impact of hand washing on their health. Little do they know that the act that takes less than 20 seconds, can help save their lives.
Our hands pick up germs everywhere - from door knobs, remote controls, elevator buttons and smart phones. When the hands touch our nose, mouth and eyes, these germs can enter the body, which lead to infection.
Hands are responsible for the spread of 80 per cent of infectious diseases from the common cold and flu to the life threatening severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola virus and E. coli. Experts have always recommended the practice of proper hand hygiene as one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread and infection of these diseases.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, cleaning your hands can prevent the spread of germs, including those that are resistant to antibiotics and are becoming difficult, if not impossible, to treat.
The CDC states that hand washing can prevent one in three diarrhoea-related sickness and one in five respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu. Several studies have also found that hand hygiene reduces the risk of cross-transmission of infections.
Unfortunately, awareness on the important of hand washing is still lacking. In a 2013 study by Michigan State University researchers, it was found that only five per cent of the participants washed their hands after using the bathroom. The worst part is that 10 per cent of them didn’t wash their hands at all.
The study found that people are only washing their hands, on average, for about six seconds. Experts have stated that it takes between 15 and 20 seconds of hand washing to effectively kill the germs.
Datuk Dr Christopher Lee, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit and the Department of Medicine at Hospital Sungai Buloh says good hand hygiene is one of the key factors in restricting the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes from sources of contamination.
He says with proper techniques, the simple act of hand washing with soap and water can significantly reduce the transmission of these pathogens.
“Hands are considered as the most significant medium of pathogen transfer. Hand washing is actually a form of social vaccination. Similar to vaccination, when you wash your hands, you are protecting yourself and others from being infected.
“If you don’t wash your hands, not only will you be infected, you are also spreading germs to others. And if other people also wash their hands, they are protected to some degree from your germs. That is why hand hygiene is the single most effective preventive action to reduce the spread and transmissions of infectious diseases. While some people may think it is a mundane thing, they should be aware that washing their hands frequently is a habit that can save their lives.”
COMMON FACTOR
Dr Lee says over the last several decades there have been several outbreak of infectious diseases and all share a single common factor that has caused the spread - lack of hand hygiene.
He says these outbreaks include Nipah virus in Malaysia in 1998; SARS in 2003; H1N1 in 2009; and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012.
Nipah has killed more than 100 people; globally SARS killed 774 people; H1N1 caused 284,000 deaths; and MERS-CoV has killed 712 people.
Currently the Ebola virus is spreading in Congo, which health experts have referred to as exceptionally dangerous. To date it has killed 240 people, making it the largest outbreak of Ebola since 2016 when the disease killed 11,000 people in West Africa. Ebola virus spreads from blood and body fluids of infected person through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose or mouth. In most cases, it happens through contaminated hands.
Citing an example, Dr Lee says the spread of SARS virus was through a contaminated button in the elevator at Hong Kong's Metropole Hotel.
“It was found that the number 13 button was the point of origin for the virus. It was where the doctor, who was the source of the outbreak, had stayed. When other guests touched the button, they were infected with the virus. Unfortunately, lack of hand hygiene lead to the spread of the virus to other parts of the world, when they travelled.
“This showed that hand hygiene is the single factor that can help prevent the spread. It is still the key protection despite the mask and protective gears. It also showed that within days, infectious disease that started somewhere else will come to us. The risk is always there. We may be lucky to escape from the infections now but we cannot rely on good luck the next time another outbreak happens.”
Dr Lee says the worry is that the next outbreak of infectious disease could be more dangerous, especially with increased transmission of pathogens from animals to humans.
“There will be recurring and emerging diseases in the future. And if you look at the pattern, all are zoonotic diseases. As humans move faster and easier around the world, the transmissions of infectious diseases are increasing.”
“And even though we have an arsenal of good antibiotics or antivirals, we may not be able to prevent the diseases from spreading, if we don’t take prevention steps. As such it is important that we go back to basics, which is hand washing. There is a need to reinforce the behaviour and should be implemented in homes, workplaces and public places.
“But the important thing is to use soap when you wash your hands. Don’t wash them only with water. As for hand sanitisers, you can use them if you are in public places such as the bus or trains stations. But make sure to wash your hands once you reach home.”
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS
Dr Lee says children are particularly susceptible to infectious diseases as they have a higher risk of being infected with disease-causing germs. It is crucial that parents educate their children to wash their hands regularly with soap and water.
“We need to do more. While the role of parents is crucial, the community also has to play an equally important role to raise awareness on the practice of good hand hygiene. We are responsible for our health and our children’s health.
One of the highly contagious diseases that affects children is the hand, foot and mouth disease It is endemic in the country and has become an important public health disease due to its tendency to cause large outbreaks and deaths among children and infants.
In 1997, a large outbreak of HFMD due to highly neurovirulent EV71 caused 41 deaths amongst young children. The disease returned in late 2000 and caused eight deaths. In 2003, there was another outbreak but with an unknown number of cases and mortalities.
For the first six months of this year, there was an increase of 28 per cent of HFMD cases compared to the same period last year. In July this year, a 17-month-old boy from Penang was the first fatality due to the disease.
HFMD is a contagious disease caused by viruses, in particular the Coxsackie A16 and Enterovirus 71 which are spread by contact with saliva, blisters or faeces.
COMMON WAYS GERMS ARE SPREAD
1. Hands to nose, mouth and eyes
Germs can spread to the hands by sneezing, coughing, or rubbing the eyes and then can be transferred to other family members or friends.
2. Hands to food
Usually germs are transmitted from unclean hands to food by an infected person who didn’t wash his or her hands after using the toilet. The germs are then passed to those who eat the food.
3. Food to hands to food
Germs are transmitted from raw foods, such as chicken, to hands while preparing a meal. The germs on the hands are then transferred to other uncooked foods, such as salad. Cooking the raw food kills the initial germs, but the salad remains contaminated.
4. Infected child to hands to other children
Germs are passed from a child with diarrhoea to the hands of the parent during diaper changing. If the parent doesn’t immediately wash his or her hands, the germs that cause diarrhoea are then passed to others.
Source: health.state.mn.us
Make sure your and your loved ones are protected by buying hand soap with Shopee Promo Code