Germs and Hygiene
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Summary
When you cough or sneeze, you send tiny germ-filled droplets into the air. Colds and flu usually spread that way. You can help stop the spread of germs by
- Covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Sneeze or cough into your elbow, not your hands.
- Cleaning your hands often - always before you eat or prepare food, and after you use the bathroom or change a diaper
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth
Hand washing is one of the most effective and most overlooked ways to stop disease. Soap and water work well to kill germs. Wash for at least 20 seconds and rub your hands briskly. Disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers also work well.
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Eight Ways to Guard Against Germs in Everyday Life (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) - PDF
- Hand Washing: Do's and Dont's (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Stopping the Spread of Germs at Home, Work and School (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Related Issues
- Germs and Staying Healthy (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)
- Hand Sanitizers Carry Unproven Claims to Prevent MRSA Infections (Food and Drug Administration)
Specifics
- Body Hygiene (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Clean Hands Save Lives: Emergency Situations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Hygiene Etiquette: Coughing and Sneezing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Steps of Healthy Swimming: Protection against Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Your Microbes and You
(National Institutes of Health)
Games
- Food Detectives: Fight Bac (Partnership for Food Safety Education) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Disinfection
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hand Hygiene
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Handwashing
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Children
- How Often Do Children Need to Take a Bath? (American Academy of Dermatology)
- What Are Germs? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Why Is Hand Washing So Important? (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
Teenagers
- Body Odor (For Young Women) (Children's Hospital Boston) Also in Spanish
- Hand Washing (Nemours Foundation)
- Why Should I Care about Germs? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Women
- Douching (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
Patient Handouts
- Cleaning supplies and equipment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cleaning to prevent the spread of germs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Isolation precautions (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Personal protective equipment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish