SWINE FLU

As a microbiologist, I've always questioned the mantra we constantly hear about hand washing and swine flu. CDC, etc. are constantly touting the benefits of handwashing in preventing swine flu. It is repeated so often and so decisively that I figured that there must be some overwhelming evidence that most flu is transmitted via hands to face. It turns out that this is not the case. How many things we see and hear every day are not based in fact?

Here's the article I read: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/24/hand.washing.helpful/index.html . It turns out that the flu viruses don't survive as well on hands as they do in a fluid-filled droplet hanging in the air - expelled during a cough or sneeze. So handwashing is not the panacea our "medical" professionals have been touting.

That kind of pisses me off. I feel like the CDC, once again, has played the father-knows-best patriarch who settles down the hysterical masses with placating half-truths. As the article states and I long suspected, handwashing will likely do little for preventing swine flu - or any other flu for that matter.

That doesn't mean that handwashing is a bad idea. It is in fact a very good idea. There are all kinds of nasty things out there that find their way from hands to mouths, eyes, and noses. For example, E. coli, an evil little bacterium that can cause at the least intestinal distress and at the worst, death.

So, wash your hands, have your children wash their hands, etc. etc. etc. Just don't expect that it will protect you from the swine flu.