Last year about this time, at the height of the swine flu fear epidemic, my workplace decided to take steps to ensure safety.  First of all, every department was given alcohol wipes and bottles of hand sanitizer.  Secondly, we were told to disinfect our desks, keyboards, etc. with the alcohol wipes and use the hand sanitizer religiously before eating, after eating, or between sniffles, sneezes, and coughs.  I scoffed, thinking it was excessively cautious; as it turns out, using hand sanitizer makes for a healthier workforce.

A study of administrative staff at a university in Greifswald, Germany, reveals that when employees were given hand sanitizer and instructed to use it five times a day, they were less likely to miss work or have symptoms of diarrhea, fever, sneezing, or the common cold than co-workers who were allowed to simply maintain their hand-washing status quo.  Turns out that forcing all those children to bring hand-sanitizer to school might be a good idea after all.

Since we’re almost at flu season now, I suggest everyone stock up on hand-wiping goop early this year, since there’s going to be a run on it and it’s better to be safe than sick.

Tags: hand sanitizers reduce the number of sick days taken, health improves when hand sanitizers are used, hand sanitizers, alcohol-based hand cleaners, unusual health news, medical news, health improved by use of hand sanitizers, Greifswald, Germany

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