7. HYGIENE PRACTICES

Why exercise good hygiene practices?

The objective of better hygiene practices is to minimize the potential for disease to spread. Such practices include limiting the dissemination of germs outgoing from infected sources, and impeding the potential for the reception of infected agents. That means that a sick person must try to contain coughs and sneezes, for example, while a healthy person needs to be mindful about breathing in infected particles or touching infected surfaces. This is easier said than done, yet there are measures a sick person can take as well as practices a healthy person can observe to lower these various means of disease transmission. And, this applies to all colds and all flu viruses.

Influenza viruses are thought to be transmitted from person to person in various ways including:

• Virus particles contained in minute aerosolized water droplets that become airborne from a cough or sneeze and are then inhaled or absorbed in the mouth, nose or eyes of a healthy person
• Touching infected body fluids or objects that have been contaminated with virus particles and then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes

Is the Bird Flu (H5N1) easy to catch?

It may be that some viruses are “easier” to catch than others, due to the nature of their respective chemical makeup. As of the fall of 2006, the H5N1 virus strains that have infected people do not transmit efficiently from person to person such that people in proximity to infected patients easily get sick. In fact, it is very rare that this has happened. Rather, those who have gotten ill from the virus so far, have typically been in direct contact with body fluids, and in particular, feces of highly infected birds.

Remember, though, this could change and such a new virus could become easy to jump from person to person, thus starting a pandemic!

In contrast, regular colds (of which there are many virus versions) and the “seasonal flu” (which are versions of other types of influenza viruses) are easily transmitted from person to person.

It is smart to exercise good hygiene practices at all times, yet during a pandemic, exercising such practices will be crucial to limiting the potential of getting sick.

Wash your hands frequently

Both bacteria and viruses are so microscopic that they can’t be seen by the unaided eye. What may look clean, may in fact be highly contaminated. You will never know. You may assume that just about everything you touch is contaminated to some degree. This holds especially for objects frequently touched by lots of people.

Virus particles will stay active for quite a long time on many surfaces and can easily be conveyed to your hands when you touch them. Then, should you put your hands in your mouth or rub your eyes, you run the risk of infection.

Washing your hands is the simplest and most effective way of preventing the transmission of a large number of infectious diseases.

It is therefore important that you wash your hands:

• After coughing or blowing your nose
• After using the toilet
• Before eating and serving food
• Before and after handling food, especially raw meat and eggs

Sneeze etiquette

Respiratory etiquette consists of a set of behaviors for preventing the transmission of germs to others.

• Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, with a tissue or your sleeve (the crook of your elbow or the hollow of your shoulder)
• Dispose of used tissues in the toilet or in a closed garbage can

When you have a fever with a cough:

• Limit your contact with other people as much as possible (e.g., stay more than 5 feet away)
• If you must go to a healthcare facility (doctor’s office, clinic, hospital) tell the person at the reception desk that you have a fever and are coughing and agree to:
  • Disinfect your hands with an antiseptic gel
  • Wear a mask if requested
  • Keep your distance from other patients
  • Ask others to do the same

What further measures are effective during a pandemic

Pandemic diseases, among other things, make many people sick and make some percentage die. Therefore, societal pressures and/or requirements (including legal) may necessitate limiting public gatherings including school, church, movies, and so on, and may call for wearing protective facial masks.

Are masks effective?

Masks are effective to some degree in limiting secretions from sick patients, and masks worn by healthy individuals may limit exposure. Typical surgical or medical masks do not conform to the face very well, but do afford some protection.

Better yet, so-called N95 respirators typically worn as a dust mask, for example, may allow a higher level of protection, as they conform around the mouth and nose and they filter out very small particles. However, both surgical masks and the better-fitting respirators may get contaminated quickly, and are difficult to handle—they are hard to put on and take off without otherwise touching contaminated parts.