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 totally agree. The amount of people who don't wash their hands is utterly gross. All those filthy door handles, metro poles, communal washrooms! Ugh.

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.
^^

They shut the school for 3 days to deep clean it?!

I reckon it'd do a lot to cut colds and flu, but norovirus is so contagious I doubt handwashing would make a scrap of difference.

I'm constantly washing my hands, and my children are very good at washing theirs. My husband definitely washes his hands regularly but probably not as obsessively as the rest of us. We very rarely get sick, so I do think it works.

Am quite surprised by all the people saying that large swathes of people don't wash their hands after using the toilet. That's something I very rarely see. Sometimes it's not possible to do it properly though, as there is no hot water available, or no soap. But that's usually when you end up having to use the toilets of last resort...

DD1 is a primary teacher in the Midlands. School has been struck by norovirus, closed for days for a 'deep clean' and every adult - except DD - has had it.

She puts it down to scrupulous hand hygiene and, in particular, being the only adult who keeps her fingernails clipped short and does not have fancy manicures with gels etc. She also has a water bottle with a covered spout that her young class is forbidden to touch!

And most public toilets are paper-free so you have to touch the bloody door handles AFTER you’ve washed your hands anyway, so they get covered in other people’s germs anyway!!! *shudders

I'm.a frequent handwasher. Had cancer a few years ago and know how devastating a normally unpleasant bug can be to someone in Ill health.
I always wash my hands whwn I return home before I touch roo much in my home and I try to encourage other family members to do the same.

Norovirus is airborne. You can wash your hands until they bleed but still catch it.

@whatodoaboutit

Yes but that's why the 48 rule is in place. Airborne is from a person throwing up in the room and the particles flying across the classroom or wherever. If parents were responsible and kept kids home for example it would spread alot less. Also adults can vomit into a bowl or toilet. Kids can throw up all over their feet or on the carpet. Then it spreads as children walk on it and put fingers In mouths etc.

Washing hands and not putting fingers in your mouth prevents it massively. The issue is people don't wait until the 48 hour period has passed to go out and they don't wash and sanitise hands properly. There are actually foams available now on Amazon that kill norovirus.

People are definitely unhygienic and don't consider anyone else once they feel ok again.

I think all those saying we're barely ever ill after NOT hand washing are probably being helped by everyone who does wash hands, use anti bac, hand sanitiser etc. All those people around them making sure they're not spreading stuff giving the yucky ones less things to catch. Sure if all the NON hand washing people spent lots of time together they'd all start being much more ill.
I definitely always make sure I antibac after touching anything like a shopping basket or trolley, then invariably when home first thing I do is visit bathroom so hands then washed.
Also wish everyone kept to the 48 hours makes such a difference.

I suspect quite a lot of the people who post on here about the disgusting people who don't wash their hands after using a public loo don't actually wash their hands properly.

I was told you sing Happy Birthday twice to yourself.

But there's little point if there's no soap, or only cold water, or weak hand dryers which don't dry your hands. In that case you might as well just use a hand sanitiser or go and find another loo with better facilities. Running your hands under a cold tap for a few seconds achieves precisely nothing.

I was my hands religiously - and correctly in accordance with medical training when I was younger - and I’m currently in bed with norovirois.
Most people I see regularly have had it over the last few days.
It’s Airborne and doesn’t respond to anti-bacterial wash.