Wash Your Hands to Ward Off Illness

National Handwashing Awareness Week is December 7-13

NASHVILLE - Washing your hands is not only a good hygiene practice, but is also an important way to protect yourself from disease. That’s the message of National Handwashing Awareness Week, observed December 7 through 13. The theme this year is "Spread the Word, Not the Germs!" The Tennessee Department of Health urges Tennesseans to join this effort to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

 "Handwashing is our first line of defense against disease, and is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection," said State Epidemiologist Tim Jones, MD. "Thousands of cases of illness could be prevented every year if everyone practiced proper handwashing techniques."

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 36,000 people nationwide die from flu or flu-like illness each year and an additional 5,000 people nationwide die from food borne illness each year. Poor handwashing is directly linked to many of these deaths. In addition to flu and food borne illness, washing your hands compulsively helps prevent the spread of cold viruses which are common this time of year.

To wash hands properly, use soap and warm running water. Scrub or vigorously rub all surfaces of hands, including wrists, backs of hands and spaces between fingers, for at least 20 seconds. Leave the water running while drying hands. Dry hands with a clean, disposable towel, and use the towel as a barrier between your hands and the faucet handle to turn off the water. Critical times to wash your hands include before eating, after using the toilet, before and during food preparation, after handling animals, after changing diapers, after caring for someone who is sick, and any time you think your hands are dirty. If running water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

While frequent handwashing can help prevent the spread of flu, the best way to protect yourself from getting flu is to get vaccinated. So far this season, more than 93,000 doses of flu vaccine have been administered at Tennessee’s county health departments. Flu vaccine is widely available throughout Tennessee, and it’s not too late to get a flu vaccine this season. To get information about vaccine availability, contact your health care provider or your county health department. A complete list of county health department locations is available online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm.

For more information on the importance of handwashing, including an instructional video demonstrating proper technique, visit the Department of Health Web site at http://health.state.tn.us/Factsheets/handwashing.htm.