I wish it was longer. Recruits are susceptible to various types of URI because they share many common living areas. According to Ryan, since the introduction of Operation Stop Cough, the number of patients with a URI has gone down by more than half. This past winter the recruit clinic saw 200 to 250 patients each week for colds, down from the previous year's numbers of as many as 500 patients per week. The reduction was expected because most germs are spread by hands through normal contacts.
Hand washing is just the first step in the war against the common cold.