Handwashing and surface contamination

[Nellodee]

So is the consensus that this is a very minor contribution to spread / the lack of it?

I don’t doubt it can be transmitted like this but contact between people is far more likely to spread it. Lots of focus on hand washing but if it’s airborne then that s a tiny drop in the ocean that stop it.

I feel like the hand washing and wiping surfaces is to make us feel like we are doing something. Obviously it helps but if you’re sat in a room with someone for more than hour, especially if you’re close and it’s poorly ventilated, I can’t see that it will make a significant difference.

Everything sunseekin said.
That handwashing has negligible effect on respiratory viral infection has seemed clear since April but no one wants to walk back the 'Wash your hands!' line now. People are excited about things they can do that they think controls their personal risk contribution.

Handwashing is great to stop fecal-oral transmission bugs, though, like noro, polio, typhoid fever, salmonella. So not a waste of time, either.

I doubt it helps much against respiratory viruses tbh. We still should be doing it though especially in schools. Noro sweeps through my school every year and more handwashing would really help. My parents are still washing their shopping.