Easy Way To Help Avoid Swine Flu? Wash Often And Hum A Tune As You Do, Texas Physicians Say

Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS;  Respiratory / Asthma;  Public Health
Article Date: 30 Apr 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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What do "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," hand washing, and diseases like swine flu have in common?

Plenty, according to Texas physician leader Gary Butka, MD. Given recent news about the spread of swine flu, the Brownwood internal medicine specialist says hand washing can help prevent the spread of disease.

The physician chimes in with this simple prescription: People should sing a simple tune to themselves while washing their hands, because doing so can help minimize passing germs on.

"The most important thing we can do to prevent the spread of disease is wash our hands," notes Dr. Butka, a former member of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) Committee on Infectious Diseases. "I'm not just talking about running your hands under the faucet."

Frequent hand washing reduces the risk of spreading germs, but it must be done for at least 15 seconds and thoroughly. "I recommend humming a tune like 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' or 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' while washing your hands. When you finish the song, you have finished washing your hands," Dr. Butka says. Prevention is key to avoiding contracting an illness. Swine flu, making headlines, spreads primarily through person-to-person contact and coughing.

While thorough hand washing is far from a new prescription, doctors are issuing the reminder because people may have become more complacent than they once were. "Part of the situation that we're in today is a sense of false security that has been created by the advent of antibiotics," adds Dr. Butka. "Before we had penicillin, hand washing was really emphasized."

Therefore, better to revert to old ways to prevent the spread of swine flu and other infectious diseases, physicians say, since it can be as easy as hand washing - for a song.

Texas physicians also recommend that people take these steps to prevent contracting disease.

- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
- Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing nearly 44,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. TMA's key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.

Source
Texas Medical Association

Further information on Swine Flu

• See a Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
• See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog

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• References
• Citations