Most of us have been inundated with information on hand-washing hygiene as we prepare for the arrival of swine flu or H1N1. We’re told that this practice will help us avoid catching it. The entrances of malls and major retailers now have hand sanitizer available for people to use; Walmart is a prime example. Even President Obama got in the game when he gave an address to school children in September and – in one uncontested item from his speech – told them to wash their hands a lot.

Unfortunately, the science does not support this conventional wisdom. In fact, Arthur Reingold, head of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley says that there is virtually no evidence that people actually contract the flu from viral contamination on their hands.

The reason is that the flu is transmitted by microscopic particles that are exhaled by people who are still infectious. As a result, Reingold fears that people are developing a false sense of security against H1N1 and other flu viruses simply because they wash their hands. He argues that it takes the focus off other, more important measures that could be taken against the swine flu.

Reingold argues that surgical masks might be much better protection against flu viruses, including H1N1, because they help protect the wearer from breathing in airborne contaminants.

There are studies to back Reingold’s statements: researchers in the Netherlands working with ferrets (who have a similar respiratory system to us) found that H1N1 was transmitted by airborne particles. Other previous research on flu viruses shows that animals exposed to a contaminated cage (rather than an infected animal) did not catch the flu. All this suggests that the transmission route for flu virus is the air and that makes hand-washing a moot point.

The good news is that H1N1 has a very low mortality rate: while the regular flu kills 36,000 a year, swine flu has only killed 556 people despite infecting millions.

This does not mean that you should abandon good hand hygiene! Colds and other respiratory illnesses can be and are contracted by viruses or bacteria on your hands.

If you have egg allergy, you should avoid the vaccine according to Dr Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. Instead, head to your doctor if you get sick. Antivirals used in the first 24 to 48 hours can help you weather the virus.

Source: Newsweek