Preventing the Spread of Germs

Healthy habits can help protect you from getting sick or spreading germs at home, school or work. Simple actions like coughing or sneezing into your elbow, and washing your hands often can stop germs, prevent illnesses and reduce sick days.

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. To effectively reduce germs, consider the following tips.

When to wash your hands:

• Before, during and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• After using the bathroom
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the bathroom
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• After touching an animal or animal waste
• After touching garbage
• Before touching a cut or treating a wound

How to wash your hands:

• Wet your hands with clean, running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• Rub hands together to make a soapy lather and completely scrub your hands.
• Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door.

Hand sanitizers are recommended when running water and soap are not readily available. Use an alcohol-based product containing at least 60% alcohol to effectively clean hands. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are fast acting and significantly reduce the number of many types of germs on the skin; however, they will not kill all germs (e.g. Cryptosporidium).

How to use a hand sanitizer:

• Apply the product to the palm of one hand.
• Rub your hands together.
• Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry.

Overall, remember that viruses can be spread by droplets emitted when the ill cough, sneeze or talk. These viruses can also lay in wait on surfaces and objects. Therefore, follow these simple techniques to help reduce the transmission of illness:

• When you are sick, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Put your used tissue in the waste basket.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.
• You may wear a facemask to protect others.
• Always wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

By consistently using these simple measures and teaching them to our children, we can all hope for a happy and healthy holiday season for our families.

Dr. Doug

Dr. James Douglas Campbell, MD, FAAP, MHA, LLC, is a pediatric health professional who advises The Children’s Courtyard on the needs of our program as a whole, and provides consultation and technical assistance on child health issues. Dr. Campbell received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Florida and a Masters of Health Administration from the University of North Florida College of Health. He is Board Certified with the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has been taking care of children in Jacksonville, Florida since 1981.