Personal Hygiene Slows The Epidemic Of Influenza

Personal Hygiene Slows The Epidemic Of Influenza.
Simple steps, such as paw washing and covering the mouth, could be found helpful in reducing pandemic flu transmission, experts say. However, in the May result of the American Journal of Infection Control, a University of Michigan examination team cautions that more research is needed to assess the true effectiveness of so called "non-pharmaceutical interventions" aimed at slowing the cover of pandemic flu. Such measures incorporate those not based on vaccines or antiviral treatments.

On an individual level, these measures can include frequent washing of the hands with soap, wearing a facemask and/or covering the enunciate while coughing or sneezing, and using alcohol-based index sanitizers. On a broader, community-based level, other influenza-containment measures can include private school closings, the restriction of public gatherings, and the promotion of home-based work schedules, the researchers noted. "The fresh influenza A (H1N1) pandemic may provide us with an opportunity to address many exploration gaps and ultimately create a broad, comprehensive strategy for pandemic mitigation," lead novelist Allison E Aiello, of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in a low-down release. "However, the emergence of this pandemic in 2009 demonstrated that there are still more questions than answers".

She added: "More scrutinization is urgently needed". The call for more investigation into the potential benefit of non-pharmaceutical interventions stems from a supplementary analysis of 11 prior studies funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and conducted between 2007 and 2009. The in the know review found that the public adopted some possessive measures more readily than others. Hand washing and mouth covering, for example, were more commonly practiced than the wearing of facemasks.