Let’s face it; summer is over. The cold months approach us, and unfortunately so do the infamous waves of common colds and viruses, too. Time to prepare for battle. But don’t worry; the fight against illness isn’t actually as vigorous as you might think. All we have to do is—pause for dramatic effect—wash our hands! It sounds too easy, doesn’t it? Well, luckily for everyone—for once in our undergraduate lives—it really is as easy as it seems!
At the University of Colorado, a study involving 430 students from 4 different residence halls investigated the efficacy of a hand-washing campaign as well as the use of alcohol gel hand-sanitizer in the fight against upper-respiratory illness (1). According to MedicineNet.com, upper-respiratory illness includes symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, a runny nose, fever, and a sore throat, to name a few (2). The study involved dividing the students into control and product groups, and statistically analyzed them for differences in illness rates, symptoms, and the number of absences from classes. For the product groups, alcohol gel hand–sanitizer dispensers were mounted in every room, bathroom, and dining hall, and a hand washing message campaign covered bulletin boards throughout the residence halls, which carried weekly messages regarding hand washing hygiene. The control group was told they were participating in a wellness study but received no sanitizer dispensers or campaigning bulletin boards.
The study presented significant results. Although the data consisted of only self-reported symptoms and not clinically obtained information, the results displayed a recognizable increase in hand-washing and use of hand-sanitizer from the product groups, and thence a noticeable decrease in the amount of illness, absences, and symptoms of upper-respiratory illness as well.
Additionally, a study performed on children in Karachi, Pakistan also resulted with respiratory infections substantially decreasing after months of promoted hand washing (3).
Another article, in The New England Journal of Medicine, researched the transmission of rhinovirus infections (4). Rhinovirus infections cause 1/3 or more of the common colds, and proliferates primarily in the nose. Fortunately, the symptoms that arise are unlike the cartoon shown.
Image Credits: Cartoon Stock https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/rhinovirus.asp
The investigation found that the virus is spread from the hands of the infected individual to either direct contact with another individual’s hands, or indirect contact via an intermediate surface. The recipient unknowingly spreads the infection by touching their face, eyes, or mouth, and contracts the virus. This video explains how the common cold works.
The moral of this story is to wash your hands before ever touching your face, eyes, or mouth!
However, squeezing soap on your hands and rinsing it off doesn’t suffice. In order to fully remove the bacteria, you must be thorough. Fortunately, some public washrooms show you how! An example of a sign showing efficient hand washing procedure is depicted below.
Image Credits: The Lung Association http://sct.poumon.ca/protect-protegez/germs-microbes_e.php
There you have it, folks. Keep it clean. Wash your hands as often as necessary; it’s probably the easiest way to fight against that nasty cold we all dread!
References:
- White, C.; Kolble, R.; Carlson, R.; Lipson, N. Journal of American College Health 2005, 53 (4), 175–181.
- FACEP, J. R. B. D. O.; MPH, S. N. N. M. D. Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms and Treatment http://www.medicinenet.com/upper_respiratory_infection/article.htm (accessed Oct 11, 2016).
- Luby, S. P.; Agboatwalla, M.; Feikin, D. R.; Painter, J.; Billhimer, W.; Altaf, A.; Hoekstra, R. M. The Lancet 2005, 366 (9481), 225–233.
- Hendley, J. O.; Wenzel, R. P.; Gwaltney, J. M. New England Journal of Medicine 1973, 288 (26), 1361–1364.
