The best prevention from colds and flu is to wash your hands. In today s culture of great medical advances and high-tech treatments, simple hygiene remains important.
Infections are the third-leading cause of death in Kansas.
Despite the generally held belief that germs are spread through sneezing and coughing, the majority of transmission comes from contaminated hands. In a recent study, school children who washed their hands four times per day experienced 50 percent fewer absences from stomach upset and 25 percent fewer absences from respiratory illness than those who did not. Handwashing remains a simple method of preventing many infectious illnesses. It s important to wash your hands before and after handling food products, after handling pets, after diapering, before eating, and whenever you are sick, or are around people who are.