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'm always surprised that so many people don't wash their hands when they come home from shopping, work, school or public transport. My parents were both in medical professions and the first thing we all did when coming home was to wash our hands (and again before cooking, eating, after going to the loo etc. of course).

This with bells on.

I know so many people that don't though.

There is a lot of misinformation on here about Norovirus; it’s not airborne like measles is, rather it can also be spread by inhaling small airborne particles of the virus (e.g. if someone nearby has profuse vomiting). It’s not inevitable. .I’ve never caught noro off my kids because I stand a metre away while they’re vomiting and wear disposable gloves and use bleach to clean it up.

And to the OP - please don’t be shy about asking people to wash hands properly. I found spending time in hospital with an immunocompromised family member helped me get over the shyness!

Hate seeing people coughing into their hands & then go on touching doors, taps, etc. Cough into your elbow!

I absolutely agree op!
Our dc school is huge, over 600 children. They do not tell the children to wash hands before lunch or snack! It defies belief. I grumbled about it and now they've been and bought antibac gels for the classrooms, yep, antibac, that doesn't even kill viruses. Instead of just getting them to wash their hands. Not good.

Do you wash your hands before you go shopping and push a trolkey? I doubt it, yet that's probably one of the best way to catch something.

I'm really surprised at people saying these illnesses are good for us. They haven't been saying that, though. Soap and water doesn't selectively get rid of noro. People are saying that getting rid of everything in your attempt to get rid of the nasties doesn't help to build your immune system.

As to spreading colds - our current work culture of sever limiting of sickness isn't helping with that. Some people have no choice but to go to work ill because of the sickness procedures at their place of work, others are pressured by the culture you see on MN where of course you go to work with a cold, despite the fact that when you're coughing or sneezing, the speed of the sneeze may mean despite your best intentions you may not have much control over the direction.

I don’t disagree with you per se, but we have never ever had a sickness bug in my household and I can tell I would be considered ‘grim’ by this thread.

I wash my hands after the toilet and before preparing food, but not when getting back from a public place or similar.

I would of course be more mindful around immune-compromised folk, however I am lucky enough not to know anyone in this situation.

Not having a pop at you but would like to challenge this - the elderly, young kids, even someone who's recently had flu, are all likely to be immunocompromised. Do highly likely you do know or interact with the immunocompromised.

I would of course be more mindful around immune-compromised folk, however I am lucky enough not to know anyone in this situation.

How do you know if someone is immunosuppressed to immunocompromised?

I don't go around telling people in RL and it is a fairly 'invisible' issue to most onlookers. Lots of people take medication which has a big impact on their immune system, both temporary and permanent.

And it isn't just people with specific illnesses and medical conditions you need to be careful about. Lots of groups fall into vulnerable and susceptible to these viruses. Children, elderly, etc.

Wash hands and stay home! My friend's mum had a sick bug Sunday and Monday. Threw up again Wednesday. My friend went around to deep clean thursday morning. I was thinking are you mad? Let her deep clean her own house she's fit enough! She has a five year old and I thought great so if you get it. Then your son gets it then he goes back to school and gives it my child and the rest of the class. My other friends kid got sick the day before Halloween. Threw up all night. She took her trick or treating anyway. The kid was miserable and didn't want to go far. She was obviously putting her hands into the sweet bowls to get a treat. So yep can see why things spread. People just think I'm ok now so I'll go out. No consideration for anyone else. We could wipe norovirus almost out if we all stayed home for 3-4 days afterwards. The 24/48 rule is aload of rubbish too because kids will still be contagious and touching everything at school!

I'll be honest - I had no idea how to wash my hands properly untill I trained as a nurse. Now it is second nature. Perhaps it should be taught in schools?

I can tell the kids at work who have a parent who is a nurse or doctor/has somebody immunocompromised in the home - as soon as one hand goes on top of the other to clean between the fingers/backs of the hands.

A lot use their jumpers pulled over their hands to open doors, too.

Mind you, it's not just washing hands that's less taught - a lot haven't been taught to blow their noses, that tissues go into the bin instead of on the table and that hawking the snot back up your nose and down your throat is going to make you feel sick.

I'm just eternally thankful that they do seem to have been taught that spitting is gross.

By the way, I'm immunocompromised. I deal with sick kids all day long. It's not foolproof, but so far (touches wood, whistles, gives offerings to the Faeries, crosses self, whatever) I have been OK with copious amounts of handwashing, Purell, gloves and only getting close enough to check their temperatures before retreating again.

Thank fuck for my flu jab. They've obviously got the mix pretty much right this year.

@Aragog ok, the people I spend time with in enclosed spaces like their home or my home are not immune compromised. Which is what I meant about being more mindful.

I have no idea about strangers. I try to limit going out when unwell as much as possible and I don’t sneeze or cough without covering my mouth.

yanbu
anecdotally when swine flu was going round my dc nursery introduced regular handwashing what a novel concept
was so cute the little ones washing hands and singing 'happy birthday' whilst soaping up.

d&v infections came down to almost zero.

I went to Sainsburys the other night for wrapping paper, and there was a woman with a streaming cold who was alternately blowing her nose and then touching all the christmas wrapping paper. I needed some extra paper but she'd picked so many rolls up and put them back down that I wasn't risking a stinking cold (T2 diabetic). I dread to think what she touched around that supermarket.

If people showed some common sense and didn't go out with contagious illnesses until well again, we'd all be better off

I completely agree with you OP.

I also want to say that handwashing does not cause allergies. A bar of soap and hot water does not cause allergies.

Overuse of anti bac products is a problem but not handwashing!

@MereDintofPandiculation I was referring to when someone on page 1 said: "Exposure to infectious organisms is important in terms of population health" which in simplistic terms means that getting ill is good for us.

Antibacterial resistance and general increase in allergies is not caused by proper hand washing with soap and water!

I'm also shocked how many people send their kids back to school less than 48hrs after D+V. And the rule is 48hrs after symptoms have stopped, not since they were first ill.

I don't wash my hands before pushing a shopping trolley but I certainly do as soon as I get home! And avoid touching my face etc. until I can wash my hands.

The Happy Birthday rule is a good one to teach children I.e. you should have soap bubbles on your hands and be actively washing for the same amount of time it takes to sing happy birthday.

I definitely think parents should teach children to wash their hands but many don't, and given the amount of staff and pupils absences due to illness it is very much in the school's interest to reinforce good hygiene practices. This could easily be done during an assembly and also simply reminding them to wash hands before lunch etc. It wouldnt take long or be onerous. I'm not suggesting the teacher stand over each child!

My DC have never had washing mentioned at school except for before cooking activities, even during noro outbreaks.

Hand washing is important but there is a lot more to it than just that.

Obsessive hand washing is not a good thi g either

*thing

Not just this. Also things like people sneezing or coughing in public without covering their mouths. I'm so glad I can avoid public transport

I wash my hands thoroughly under water too hot for most people with lots of soap etc. However I have a one year old who goes to nursery who sneezes in my face and had a new 'joke' which involves pretending to be asleep then licking my face when I'm giving him a cuddle, I've never had so many illnesses, he's essentially a bioterrorist.

Its never occurred to me to wash my hands after going shopping

I always wash my hands as soon as I return to my house after going out.