This is how Proper hand washing protects against infections

 Up to 80 percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted according to WHO information on the hands. A good hand hygiene in the prevention but poorly implemented in the population.

That you can teach adults with online training, to look in the cold season to good hand hygiene, and that this actually helps the spread of respiratory infections (Respiratory Tract Infections, RTI) to prevent a large scale, now a British study has shown (Lancet 2015; online August 6).

Significantly fewer colds

About 20,000 British households were invited to participate in the study between January 2011 and March-2013. The addresses had been given the researchers more than 344 general practice.

The subjects were divided randomly: One half was drawn to the Internet platform with the program for hygiene training. The other half did not get the link. Both groups were asked to fill out monthly questionnaires to all-nighter infectious diseases.

The data from 16,908 participants in the 16-week intervention were evaluated. Result: Of the 8241 subjects in the intervention group gave 51 percent claim to have gone through one or more respiratory infections during the study period, in the control group there were 59 per cent more clearly; the difference is significant.

Since the participants their symptoms had to assess themselves, pragmatism was needed. As a respiratory infection counted by the researchers: either at least two typical symptoms (sore throat, cough, runny nose) on at least one day or one of the symptoms for at least two consecutive days.

A flu-like illness was defined as elevated temperature or chills or a self-measured body temperature over 37.5 ° C in combination with a respiratory symptom and also headaches, significant fatigue, severe muscle pain or heavy feeling ill.

The researchers thus deviate from the WHO definition, which requires ever actually measured fever as a criterion for influenza-like illness.

Protected household

By online training apparently reduced the transmission of infections between household members, reports Professor Paul Little of the University of Southampton and his team: So in the intervention group decreased the proportion of roommates who developed the same symptoms within one week, from 8, 8 to 6.6 percent.

Sufferers participants with training, the disease duration was significantly shorter than in participants without training (9.8 vs 10.6 days). The average number of sick days per person decreased by washing hands by an average of 6.5 to 5.2 days.

From severe symptoms subjects of hygiene group were plagued on average half a day shorter (2.1 vs 2.6 days). In addition, the intervention group reported fewer gastrointestinal infections than the control group.

The number of physician visits, and especially the use of antibiotics were slightly, but significantly declined: Over one year, 17 percent had seeking treatment compared to 16 percent of the participants because of an RTI, antibiotics were doing prescribed in 11 and 9 per cent.

These differences might seem small at first glance, at the population level they are but may be highly relevant, as the Dutch expert for primary and community care Chris van Weel from the Radboud University in an accompanying Comment wrote (Lancet 2015 online August 6) ,

For example, when an influenza epidemic any action against transfers could have a substantial effect. When the H1N1 pandemic in 2009/2010, the WHO had therefore propagated thorough handwashing as a measure against the spread of infection.

Incidentally, the frequent washing of hands put the skin of the participants did not seem particularly to: Only four percent of Hygiene group had mild skin irritation (control group: one percent). Existing skin problems not deteriorated according to the researchers.