Can hand gel rub out swine flu?
Got hand gel? If not, you should. Hand gel is everywhere. You'll find dispensers in schools, hospitals and even some businesses.
And with good reason.
(Sun-Times Media File)
In the ongoing war against H1N1 and other infectious diseases, hand gel just may be your best weapon.
"Hand gel that is 65 percent alcohol or greater is quite effective in destroying germs on hands, whether they're bacteria, virus or fungi," said Dr. Rene Santos, infectious disease specialist at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey and Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest.
While hand washing used to be the preferred way to fend off germs, Santos said the Centers for Disease Control now recommends antibacterial gels, especially for health care workers.
This may explain why sales of hand gels have tripled in this country compared with a year ago.
One of the objections to hand washing, particularly for those in the health care industry, is that washing your hands 30 to 40 times a day, as doctors and nurses may be required to do, can be very drying and can lead to chafing.
Hand gels, Santos said, do not wash away the skin's natural oils the way soap and water can.
Another problem with washing is that, studies show, most people don't do it for a long enough period of time to make it effective. A recent study revealed that people using airport washrooms washed their hands for a total of three seconds.
"Three seconds are not going to work," Santos said.
Hand gels, when applied appropriately, can work for a couple of hours, he said.
And, in case you were wondering, you cannot build up an immunity to the gels.
"People don't develop immunities, germs do," Santos said. And, in general, organisms cannot develop immunity to chemicals, especially chemicals that are doused all over an infected area.
Which brings us to a very important point. All the hand gel in the world isn't going to help if you don't apply it correctly.
"You need at least a tablespoon," Santos said. And you need to work it all over your hands, fingers and under your nails.
The same can be said for hand washing, which incidentally, is the preferred method of cleaning hands that are visibly soiled. You need to wash away any visible material, such as dirt or in the case of health care workers, blood or urine. You can't do that with a gel.
But if you are washing, make sure you moisten, lather and rinse for at least 10 seconds, Santos said.
'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,'" he said, if you need a guideline.
Ultimately, both hand washing and hand gels will work against swine flu, Santos said.
So will wearing a mask, he added, but that does not seem to be very culturally acceptable in this country.
In Asia, he said, mask-wearing is very common, so much so that even students feel comfortable wearing them to school. The practice helps prevent outbreaks of epidemics in densely populated areas, he said.
"For sure, masks will become more acceptable here if we have an epidemic," he added. "But I've got an even better way to fight swine flu - get vaccinated."
Those concerned about vaccine safety, he said, might take comfort in this week's announcement by National Institutes of Health officials who vouched for the safety of the millions of vaccines that have already been administered.
