Hand washing facts

Hand Washing Is Important to Your Health!

Most people know hand washing is important but do you know how important?

Washing your hands is not just something to do while you wait for your friends or because your mom tells you to. It is one of the best defenses against all sorts of disease. You can carry millions of illness causing microbes on your hands that can cause colds, the flu or diarrhea. You can pick them up by touching doorknobs, shopping carts, or stair railings that have been touched by other people who are not good at washing their hands.

H1N1 (Formally Known as Swine Flu) FACTS

There is understandable public concern with the outbreak of H1N1. Infections are always present and a threat to us all.

These simple steps can help protect you, your family, and your community:

1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick,keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

2. Stay home when you are sick. Stay home when you are sick, especially if you have a fever over 100.5 degrees and have respiratory symptoms. Keep a thermometer at home and take your temperature when you are concerned.

3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your arm when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

4. Clean your hands. Wash your hands with soap or alcohol based hand sanitizer often to help protect you from germs.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

6. Don’t share objects/disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched like door knobs, remote controls, telephones, keyboards, light switches and toilet handles.

7. Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/workplace.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr/h1n1.html

Hand Washing Guide

Wet your hands with running water as hot as you can comfortably stand (at least 100ºF/38ºC)
Apply Soap
Vigorously scrub hands and arms for twenty seconds. Try singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself twice.
Rinse thoroughly under running water
Dry hands and arms with single-use paper towels or warm-air hand dryer.

Think about all the things you touch in a day and all the people that may have touched them before you. What have they touched??

Below are some links that can help you be better at washing your hands and staying healthy.

	Learn the 4 Principles of Hand Awareness and how to prevent the spread of illness.
	Meet the Scrub Club Crew, Play games watch webisodes, learn the hand washing song.
	A hands-on initiative for middle schools that's designed to help keep students in school and learning by improving overall health through promoting clean hands.
	According to the CDC, the single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others is to clean our hands. Download Brochures, Posters for Hand washing awareness.
	Hand washing facts for older students with links to a variety of topics including prevention of diseases.

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