Hand hygiene and wearing face masks is all it takes

Jan 26, 2012 09:52 GMT  ·  By

University of Michigan (U-M) investigators determined in a new study that the spread of pandemic flu could be reduced by as much as 75 percent if people simply wash their hands and wear face masks.

These two simple actions can deal a devastating blow to the pathogen, preventing it from spreading like wildfire among social circles. The research team says that the benefits of doing so cancel the potential inconveniences.

Datasets used in this investigation were compiled between 2007-2008, and are a part of the U-M M-Flu study. Scientists studied how the virus spreads through common areas such as residence halls, and discovered the protective effect of hand washing and wearing masks almost immediately.

This study was led by U-M School of Public Health associate professor of epidemiology Allison Aiello and U-M SPH professor of epidemiology Arnold Monto, They say that statistics even showed a 43 percent reduction in the rate of flu.

Interestingly, it was also determined that the significant reduction was not necessarily apparent in test subjects who only wore face masks. What this suggests is that protecting the airways from infection goes hand-in-hand with ensuring proper hand hygiene.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions against an emerging epidemic are extremely important, because vaccines are not usually ready at the first signs of trouble. Until pharmaceutical companies produce the necessary stocks, people must do what they can to reduce the spread of flu by as much as possible.

“This means masks and hand hygiene may be a good measure for preventing transmissions in crowded living quarters,” explains Aiello. Details of the research effort were published in the January 25 issue of the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE, which is edited by the Public Library of Science.

“In a pandemic situation where compliance may be significantly higher than in controlled studies, masks and hand hygiene together may have even higher preventative implications,” the expert adds.

“Ultimately, this research could help the development of national policies for pandemic preparedness," Monto explains, saying that the team is currently planning a research that would quantify how effective voluntary sequestration is for preventing the spread of flu.