Tucson Region

As flu mania sets in, wash your hands

Flu-prevention philosophy in a nutshell: If you're healthy, stay healthy; if you're sick, stay home. If you must take your germ-ridden body out in public, keep your distance, cover your nose and mouth when you cough, and wash your hands. Repeat: Wash your hands - and take your time doing it. That central bit of hygiene wisdom is gaining importance as flu season approaches and the influenza vaccine remains in short supply. Pima County has recorded one case of influenza in a man who contracted it in Hawaii and was no longer contagious when he arrived here. Another case of the milder influenza B has also been recorded in a man who caught it elsewhere, said Dr. Elizabeth MacNeill, Pima County medical director. "We don't have evidence that flu is circulating in the community yet," MacNeill said. County health officials are hopeful that those for whom influenza poses a significant health risk - the elderly, toddlers younger than 2 years old, and people with heart and lung disease and other chronic illnesses - will be vaccinated before the flu season starts in earnest - usually in January. Edie Lauver, a nurse who has severe respiratory problems, said hygiene is very important to people in her position. "When those infections hit, they hit very hard," she said. Lauver snared a flu shot the first time a clinic was offered this year, but she is still vulnerable to other infections. "Many of the medications used to control pulmonary problems are also not too good for one's immune system," she said. "It is very important for people like me to stay out of crowds." That's not always possible, she said, and Lauver appreciates people who cover their mouths and noses when they cough and wash their hands regularly. "Unfortunately, few people do, and the kids, especially, it's not that they don't know but they forget. Husbands are very aware but even they forget, and very few people wash their hands long enough," Lauver said. But it's not just the Edie Lauvers of the world who stand to benefit from improved hygiene. Everyone can benefit from an all-out low-tech assault on germs. "It doesn't hurt to do these things year-round. If we were really good about washing our hands, I'd probably be out of business," said MacNeill. "It really helps with a lot of illnesses and it actually does reduce transmission of respiratory illnesses like the cold," she said. It's mostly the same advice your mother always gave you about staying home when you're sick: keeping your hands clean, not putting your finger in your nose and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. There are variations, though, that mom never recommended. ● Wiping your runny nose on your sleeve

This is not a recommended practice, said Kathy Rucker, executive director of student health services at Tucson Unified School District, where the schools are stocked with child-friendly disinfectants and kids are urged to wash hands often. But when a tissue is not available and you can't wash your hands, wiping on your sleeve beats using your hands. ● Touching elbows

Monica Fontes, infection control practitioner for Carondelet Health Network, said cruise-ship crews adopted the practice of touching elbows rather than shaking hands during recent outbreaks of gastrointestinal viruses. Perhaps we should consider doing the same, she said. ● Snubbing thy neighbor

Local churches are telling congregants to not feel snubbed if somebody does not want to shake hands during the "sign of peace" or hold hands during the "Our Father." Those folks may feel ill and are doing you a favor. Or they could be at high risk for serious flu complications. Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas hasn't issued any edicts yet, said diocese spokesman Fred Allison, but he has told concerned Catholics to "make their own decisions" about shaking or holding hands and drinking from the Eucharistic cup. ● Obsessive cleanliness

Those folks who use wipes to disinfect shared surfaces have the right idea. Steering wheels, telephones, keyboards, doorknobs and, yes, shopping-cart handles can hold the live germs from the last person who used them. A representative for Bashas' supermarkets said that chain has been offering wipes for shopping carts and stocking each register with disinfectant gel for more than a year. Joe Calabrese, CEO of the Tohono O'odham Nation's three casinos, said his cashiers have always stocked disinfectant wipes for the slot machines. ● Declining to visit the sick

Some hospitals are already asking that children and people with cold- or flu-like symptoms not visit patients. More restrictions could be enacted as the flu season ramps up. ● Singing to yourself

Experts say you should wash your hands with soap and warm water often, and for at least 15 to 20 seconds each time. Singing a little ditty that lasts that long is a good way to make sure you spend enough time. "Happy Birthday" twice is perfect.