“The best defence we have is hand hygiene”
Several Australian states have been hit by an increase in illnesses, resulting in the launch of a new education campaign in schools, says a recent report on the 9News website.
The article by Emily Rice focuses on the efforts of Victoria’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Charles Guest, who is a leading figure behind the campaign.
Norovirus concerns
Professor Guest in an interview is reported as expressing concerns about the spread of viral gastroenteritis, or norovirus and the importance of effective hand washing in order to control it.
“The best defence we have is hand hygiene” he said.
The report mentions one of the early adopters of the initiative – Laverton P-12 College in Melbourne, whose Assistant Principal Jan Scott is quoted as saying
“Previously we found that children weren’t washing their hands very well”.
Effective hand hygiene
Year two students applied a special lotion to their hands and then washed as they normally would. The colours then showing up under an ultraviolet light showed areas of their hands that hadn’t been washed properly.
“Professor Guest said adults and kids need to spend at least 20 seconds at the basin for a standard hand wash.”
And one considerable bonus of the campaign, wrote Ms Rice, is that children often each their parents how to wash their hands properly after learning at school…
Hand hygiene campaign rolled out at Victorian schools as sickness surges »
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