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Hands Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

So says biology professor Miryam Wahrman, whose forthcoming book, The Hand Book, documents both the growing threat society faces from germs in the home, daycare and healthcare facilities, and the community, and simple acts of hygiene, namely handwashing, that can protect us and keep us healthier.

“I have been thinking about and practicing the principles of hand hygiene for as long as I can remember, in my personal and professional lives,” says Wahrman, who was spurred to write the book after the death of her mother from an infectious disease contracted in a hospital after bypass surgery. “Hand hygiene can be a life-and-death issue in hospitals, but it also sickens people in other settings on a daily basis.”

Wahrman has conducted research in her campus lab on how neckties can harbor living bacteria for long periods of time, which can be transferred to other surfaces and back again. “The science is complex but the message is simple, she says. “The goal of The Hand Book is to serve as a road map to safer hands, better hygiene, better health, and a longer life.”

Some Simple Solutions to Better Hygiene
• Don’t shake hands, do the fist bump.
• Keep your washing-up areas stocked with plenty of soap and clean cloth towels or paper towels.
• Keep a bottle of alcohol-based hand rub handy.
• Teach your children from the earliest ages to keep their hands clean.
• If you work in health care, be vigilant about hand hygiene.
• If you are a patient, politely ask your healthcare worker to wash hands and wear gloves.
• If possible, when buying prepared food, be aware of how your food is handled and ask the food handler to wash hands or wear gloves.
• Learn about local health codes, and advocate for them.

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