To think that if people washed their hands properly norovirus/flu etc would be rare

[KingaRoo]

I am horrified by the amount of both adults and children I've seen recently who either "wash" their hands without soap or literally squirt on a bit of soap and then rinse it off? You need to have soap bubbles on your hands for at least 30 seconds and properly get into all the nooks and crevices for hand washing to be effective.

My DH is immune compromised and I am living in fear of him catching the various vomiting bugs/coughs and colds going around at the moment.

We had a small party at our house recently and due to DH's illness asked them to wash hands when they arrived. I would guess around 1 in 12 people actually washed their hands properly. And yes I was watching! Felt too shy to ask them to do it again properly although probably should have done...

School have so many illnesses going around at the moment. Why don't they teach the children how to wash their hands properly? It would be in their own interests. So many teachers and pupils are off at the moment.

Would also save the NHS some money!!

I agree that hand washing can be really poor. It’s one of the main things I nag my children about. But.. I think sometimes you just catch things. Last winter we had noro in the house twice. Once we all got it and once just my daughter. We didn’t do anything different but I think it’s so easy to spread you can just be unlucky.

Yes you are not being unreasonable. I'm immunocompromised too. Wash those paws properly!

I spent a fortnight in hospital with sepsis, my youngest was hospitalised with it in the last month but was thankfully out in a few days.
YANBU at all, but it takes a scare for most people to 'get' it. I'm obsessive about it now, sanitiser everywhere and my kids hate me for it!

Noro is airborne, so you can wash away but it won’t necessarily help. I do wash my hands properly - I was taught by a nurse! - but I still got noro when DS had it. He was curled up in my lap, puking away while DH brought fresh bowls - we didn’t stand a chance.

However you are right that plenty of people could improve their hand hygiene!

But you probably caught noro from someone who didn't wash their hands properly! So would not have got it in the first place if they had done so.

the thing is it needs everyone to do it
after a long battle we now have paper towels at work and I am scrupulous about washing my hands- but then I can't avoid the door handles, keyboards etc which other people have touched

Yes if you're with a sick child while they're vomiting there is less you can do but maybe your DS got it in the first place because he or someone else he caught it from didn't wash their hands!

I can't use most hand. Soaps. Especially the really perfumed ones in shopping centre loos.
I rinse but when I have walked out I use the hand gel I carry in my bag.

Unfortunately most hand gels are only antibacterial and do not kill viruses. Boots are the only ones that do an anti-viral hand foam. You might find that useful? Also kinder on skin!

Or carry your own soap in a small squirty bottle?

You're not being unreasonable in your specific situation, but more generally speaking increased hygiene is one of the factors contributing to a rise in other immune mediated diseases. The whole business is a delicate balance that can be easily upset. Exposure to infectious organisms is important in terms of population health, as horrible as it is on an individual basis.

It would be helpful if everyone knew how to really wash their hands for times when they may be near vulnerable people though. At home they can make their own choices!

YANBU- Hand washing makes a huge difference. We’ve been “cushioned” in recent history from the horrible illnesses that used to be common place due to living so differently, modern medicine/hospital hygiene and enough of us washing our hands well enough to keep the bugs down. So a lot of people don’t see the need but it’s there. Hand washing, proper hand washing, is so important. And it’s such a simple thing.

Niro virus can be airborne inspecific limited circumstances, but the vast majority of cases are contracted through contact.
My kid’s school did teach proper hand washing , as a nurse I approved.

To be honest I think that your hands can be too clean and I admit I don’t always wash my hands completely thoroughly but I am almost never ill. Obviously after using the toilet/ changing nappies or if I’m unwell I wash my hands well and I wash my hands before dealing with DD’s gastrostomy tube etc but not always day-to-day. I think not washing too thoroughly builds up the immune system - DS (who has complex SEN) puts everything in his mouth, drinks puddles, eats out of the floor, licks and sucks door handles etc and he literally never gets an upset stomach even when everyone else in the family does.

My daughters infant school have had a lesson on hand washing this term, and been shown how to do it properly! She came home and showed us, I was most impressed. They'd also had a talk about how germs spread.

YANBU. I travel for work a lot. I'm not even remotely a germophobe, but the first thing I do when I check in to my (usually Airbnb) rental is wipe down handles and common surfaces.

It is difficult, I work in the NHS and never touch my face the whole time I'm at work, wash my hands and gel all day but then I catch a colleague with a stinking cold sneezing over the keyboard and all over the equipment and touching all the handles and door knobs in the place so I end up typing with gloves on. If they sneeze on me I just get the cold. It pisses me right off.

kingaRoo
YANBU. Over the last few months I have taken my partner to many hospital appointments and the amount of people I saw walking into the hospital and just walking by the hand sanitisers was unreal.

I'm sure you're probabaly right, and i wash my hands regularly. But given the colour of my children's hands when they get out of school they blatently arent and even with noro doing the rounds every winter i think the last sick bug they got was december 2012 just after i had my youngest. My 7 year olds class is down by half and shes still touch wood fine. So i do think there is something to be saif about overwashing and over use of antibacterials.

My sons' school is currently closed for 3 days to do a deep clean because 1 in 7 were off sick last week. They've been giving out hand sanitiser in the classrooms.
YANBU but people don't learn and are lazy (see yesterday's vote).

Norovirus is airborne, you get it by breathing in the virus if you are close to someone who is vomiting. Washing hands is very effective for many diseases but not for all.

my dad was in hosp after a stroke and very ill with pneumonia, he caught scabies , the only way how was off the nurses not washing hands between patients he couldnt move never mind touch anything

Hand sanitizers cannot work on dirty hands. Soap and the action of hand washing physically removes dirt and bacteria then the gel kills anything remaining.

I'm really surprised at people saying these illnesses are good for us. I think there is massive overuse of antibacterials, leading to antibiotic resistance, but not good old soap and water. Some illnesses e.g. colds etc might be good for the immune system in the long run, but noro and flu? Surely the world would be better off if they were eventually eradicated?

As has been said it's airborne so handwashing doesn't help for this.
Having said that I'm horrified by the amount of adults who don't wash their hands after using the toilet. It's disgusting, really turns my stomach.