Protect your family from illness with healthy hand hygiene this winter

Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it is also the season for increased risk of infectious diseases. Infection prevention experts at HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals say clean hands to protect yourself and others from transmitting illnesses may be the best gift you can give to family, friends and coworkers this holiday season.

During the winter months, the prevalence of RSV, COVID, flu and the common cold increase. Factor in holiday travel and large gatherings, and the danger of catching an infectious disease is high. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, handwashing can prevent about 20% of respiratory infection and 30% of diarrhea-related sicknesses. The CDC’s Life Is Better With Clean Hands campaign is designed to motivate adults to make consistent handwashing part of their daily lives.

“Good hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy year-round,” said Leah Beth Carrier, infection prevention director at UCF Lake Nona Hospital, an HCA Florida Healthcare hospital. “It may seem simple to some, but knowing the proper way to wash your hands and practicing consistent hand washing, especially after going to the bathroom, before and after caring for someone who is sick or injured and before and after handling food, can significantly reduce the spread of infection.

 The CDC recommends following these five steps for clean hands and a healthy holiday season:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

If soap and water aren't available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Carrier said you can protect your whole family by helping your kids practice handwashing skills and making it part of their daily routine.

“Set an example for others by consistently washing your hands at key times,” said Carrier. “Teach your kids the five steps and give them frequent reminders of how and when to wash hands. If you start when they are young, handwashing can become a lifelong healthy habit.”