Megan Hardigree - BarfBlog

World record wash-off: India versus South Africa

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:26:04 -0600

The World Health Organization launched their second annual Global Handwashing Day on October 15, 2009. The purpose of the two events was to break current world record holder, Bhiddwa School Niketon of Dhaka, Bangladesh, with 1,213 participants.

South Africa broke the current record with 1,802 Gauteng school-children participants with help from rugby hero Bryan Habana.

But it was India that demolished the current record holder with an amazing 15,000 students from 23 schools in Chennai. The handwashing celebration was held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Students had mixed feelings about the event saying, “Our teachers insisted that we came, otherwise we would not have bothered about this” and, “we knew that we are going to be part of a record-setting event. Despite being a bit tired, we find it great to be here.”

Congratulations, India.

Global Handwashing Day is Thursday, October 15, 2009

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:23:54 -0600

Break out the party hats, soap, vigorously running water, and paper towels, it’s Global Handwashing Day. Well, I guess it depends on where you are in the world. Several countries and organizations are celebrating in a variety of ways.

I think it should be like New Years. Everyone needs to make a Global Handwashing Resolution: wash your hands after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after coughing or blowing your nose, and a variety of other times dealing with bodily fluids and foods.

The world has cooties

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:30:42 -0600

I am sure I am not the only person who had to deal with cooties. I wasn’t sure cooties had a definition, but apparently it is a non-medical term for an invisible disease. When I was younger I thought, or was told, that boys had cooties (unless you were a boy and then girls had cooties). I never wanted to touch a boy or touch anything that had been touched by boys. If there was contamination I would quickly chant, “circle circle, dot dot, now I got my cootie shot.” There were hand motions that went along with it as well.

I realize that H1N1, seasonal flu, and other infectious diseases are different than cooties, but in many places, people are acting as if everyone has cooties.

An article by USA Today talks about how people, churches, work places, and hospitals are changing to avoid H1N1 and other influenza/diseases. Butt bumping and fist pumping has taken the place of shaking hands. Magazines and toys have been removed from waiting rooms in hospitals and clinics. And, my personal favorite, stethoscopes and chairs are being disinfected (I can’t believe this hasn’t been done before).

Protect yourself from cooties and other diseases.

Don't argue, just wash or sanitize your hands

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:40:08 -0600

I have not really been to Canada; apparently Niagra Falls doesn’t count. But I have had my fair share of Canadian teammates (Canadian Olympian Courtenay Stewart), friends (KSU PhD student, Tanis Hastmann), colleagues (Katie Filion and Ben Chapman), and my boss (Doug Powell). Most of them have strong opinions about everything, which is one of their best qualities.

In accordance to strong opinionated Canadians, the Public Health Agency of Canada has issued guidelines for proper hand hygiene “based on scientific evidence and expert opinion” to prevent and control infection. This guidance includes when to wash or sanitize when there is running water available, when running water is not available, and when running water is not clean.

Hands should be washed:
when they are visibly dirty;
before preparing and immediately after handling food;
before eating food or feeding others;
before breastfeeding;
after using the toilet, changing/handling diapers, or helping someone use the toilet;
after contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g., garbage bins, cleaning cloths);
after handling pets and domestic animals;
after wiping or blowing nose, handling soiled tissues, or sneezing into hands;
after contact with blood or body fluids (e.g., vomit, saliva);
before and after dressing wounds;
before and after giving care or visiting someone who is ill, or someone who is less able to fight off infections (e.g. diabetic, cancer patient);
before preparing and taking medication; and
before inserting and removing contact lenses.

Follow the directions and suggestions, wash or sanitize your hands.

Scrub Club to the rescue

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:45:08 -0600

If you are a kid, have kids, or act like a kid, then the Scrub Club is for you. This website is dedicated to promoting handwashing using cartoon children that transform into handwashing tools (i.e., soap, hot and cold water, paper towel, etc.). These super-hero handwashers also have enemies: villains named Bac, E. Coli, Flu, Sal Monella, Shigella, and Campy Lobacter. The website includes webisodes, games, information for parents and teachers, and handwashing songs to sing.

Is handwashing enough?

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:32:34 -0600

Washing your hands is great, but it isn’t enough to stop the spread of influenza. Experts from the University of California-Berkeley, Mark Nicas (Environmental Health Sciences) and Arthur Reingold (Epidemiology) say handwashing is one of several ways to combat influenza. Other ways include not touching your face (eyes nose, or mouth) and staying home from school or work if sick.

Reingold says you’re more likely to get sick from influenza, especially the H1N1 virus, from airborne particles because inhaling the flu particles gives you a larger dose than by touching a contaminated object. And, according to Nicas, students at UC Berkeley touch their face an average of 16 times per hour. That is 384 times to transmit what ever is on your hands into mucus glands located in your mouth, eyes, and nose in one day.

Since influenza transmission hasn’t been studied as much as other viruses, like the rhinovirus, the best method of prevention remains unknown. Still, handwashing is a wonderful tool to use; we must remember other preventative ways as well. Stay home and away from others if you’re sick or you feel like you’re getting sick, don’t touch your face, and cover your nose and mouth with your elbow when sneezing and coughing.

Handwashing week should be every week

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:45:09 -0600

Washing your hands everyday, year round, regardless of the week is important, but since it is International Clean Hands Week, I am reminding all barfblog readers to wash their hands. It is essential to wash your hands before and after food preparation, after bathroom use, after coughing or sneezing, and once just because it’s International Clean Hands Week.

Handwashing habits have not changed: the survey is in

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:37:09 -0600

Bradley Corporation, leading manufacture of commercial bathroom and locker room furnishings, released a national survey confirming H1N1 virus has not changed handwashing habits of Americans. Approximately 54 per cent of surveyed individuals said they “wash their hands no more or less frequently” since H1N1 flu virus has emerged.

Jon Dommisse, Bradley Corporation’s director of marketing and product development said, “we were extremely surprised by that response especially since the medical community calls hand washing the best defense against the spread of cold and flu viruses.”

Handwashing is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washing your hands “is a simple thing to do and it’s the best way to prevent infection and illness.”

The online survey was administered July 28-31 to 1,020 Americans regarding handwashing in public restrooms. Individuals were from across the country, equally male and female, and ranged from 18-65+ years old.

H1N1 flu vaccine: strategies questioned

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:25:13 -0600

In a six-hour meeting yesterday, Sunday, August 23, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Trevose, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the H1N1 flu vaccine was discussed. The main question was how to approach the public: “full throttle” and “go slow” options were debated. The meeting included watching videos about pandemics, vaccines, and the brief history of H1N1.

The vaccine would be taken on a voluntary basis regardless of the panel’s decision, but how educating the public, the benefits or risks of the vaccine, and possible mandating of the vaccine seems to be what most of the panel members are concerned with.

Prevention of H1N1 by handwashing did not seem to be a topic of conversation.

This meeting is one of ten that are occurring across the US. To read the full article, click here.

Do you actually wash your hands?

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:30:25 -0600

A blog posting on iamnuerotic.com was brought to my attention yesterday. Most of the postings are pretty interesting, whether you agree, disagree, or think people are crazy. And anyone can submit a neurosis to possibly be posted. Examples of my personal neuroses would include tying paper straw wrappers into knots and folding them into small pieces before I throw them away. Or eating sandwiches in a circular pattern because they taste better that way.

“fake hand washing” was posted on September 29, 2008, so I know it's not recent, but I thought it was valid to talk about.

This person writes, “I don’t wash my hands every time after going to the bathroom because I don’t want to aggravate my dry skin too much. But I want everyone to think I’ve washed my hands so after I flush I turn on the faucet and let the water run for people to hear. I want it to be believable though, so I mime washing my hands to make sure I let the water run for exactly how long it would take me to really do it.”

If you’re going to take the time to fake handwash, why not actually clean your hands? And if it’s because of dry skin, why not use lotions? And if you think your hands didn’t touch anything, how do you know for sure if microbiological pathogens are too small to see?

The website will also be publishing a book, i am neurotic (and so are you), by HarperStudio on October 13, 2009.

Is it a barbeque or grill?

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:12:12 -0600

I am from California. In California, it’s called a barbeque. I went to college in Alabama and graduate school in Kansas where both places call it a grill. The box labeled it a barbeque grill, so I guess everyone is right.

Regardless of the name, I purchased my very first barbeque this weekend. I put it together correctly and cooked chicken on it. I had never barbequed (or grilled) by myself, but I knew exactly when my chicken was done cooking: my tip sensitive, digital thermometer told me so. My chicken was cooked to a perfect 165°F.

And yes, I also thoroughly washed my hands before cooking and after touching any raw chicken.

When you’re barbequing, stick it in.

Fast food workers: Wash your hands

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:02:36 -0600

I have been sick the past few days. I am not sure what caused it, where I contracted the illness, but I am sick. In my mind, this reiterates the need for everyone to wash his or her hands.

A recent study co-authored by William Burkhardt, a food virologist and microbiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), explains that more than half of food service workers do not wash their hands before returning to work.

In an article by the Quad-City Times, foodborne illnesses can happen anywhere and they are easy to transmit:

Norovirus, hepatitis A and E. coli, another gastrointestinal infection, are the most common food-borne illnesses involving restaurants, Burkhardt said. Norovirus, like hepatitis A, is spread by fecal matter on food products that are then ingested by unaware patrons. However, the hepatitis A symptoms might not show up for 10-14 days while those with norovirus know much more quickly, in as little as 12 hours after ingestion.

Those who ingest the hepatitis A virus need only a few particles to eventually become ill, according to the microbiologist. "Oftentimes, a hundred million of these viral particles are present in a gram of fecal material," he said.

Even a small piece of fecal matter on a person's hand can transmit the germs, especially to salads, uncooked food items or in ice. The virus is killed during proper cooking.

To prevent the spread of foodborne illness food service workers should abide by proper handwashing and proper glove usage.

Gwyneth Paltrow needs a lesson in food safety

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:37:25 -0600

Gwyneth Paltrow has an interesting life. She’s in movies, is married to a musician, names her first born after fruit, talks about bowel movements on T.V., and has celebrity chefs as friends. And to add to her list of accomplishments, she made an online video (posted below) about cooking.

She is preparing roasted chicken and potatoes and a summer salad. I am aware of Hollywood magic and editing film, but there are several times where hands and utensils touch raw chicken and then touch other things. That is called cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is how people get sick (there may be unknown pathogens in or on foods we eat). Washing hands before cooking and after touching raw chicken is essential. However, we must remember to consider what else has touched the chicken (the knife and cutting board) and what our hands touch if we don’t wash after touching raw meat (the pepper mill, fresh herbs, knife, kitchen shears, etc.). And once you think chicken is done cooking, use a tip-sensitive digital thermometer to make sure it is cooked to the proper 165°F.

Besides the handwashing errors, it was pretty annoying how she called every type of item from the farmers market as beautiful or gorg.

Food porn or food art?

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:41:32 -0600

At the Manhattan, KS Farmer’s Market on Saturday, Chefs Bryan and Sarah Severns demonstrated cooking with local ingredients. At their cooking station, you could find an array of utensils, several cutting boards (separate ones for raw and cooked meats and vegetables—no cross-contamination), hand sanitizer, and a three-bucket washing station.

The purpose of their demonstration was to show a variety of recipes with ingredients found at the market. Samples were provided; they were delicious. Since it is recommended to wash your hands prior to eating, the chefs had hand sanitizer available for patrons.

Bryan commented on their cooking at the market as being more of food art than food porn. Both Bryan and Sarah will return to the market for another demonstration August 1.

Singing songs of food safety

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:56:56 -0600

University of California at Davis researcher, Carl Winter, has recently published a study in the Journal of Food Science Education on how contemporary popular culture songs affect teaching kids about food safety. From the Beatles to the Beach Boys, Ricky Martin to Van Halen, songs can be found on their website. My favorite is, of course, the rendition of “I wanna hold your hand,” by the Beatles into “You better wash your hands.”

The City Market's vendor provides hand sanitizer

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:21:12 -0600

A smile came to my face while walking the aisles of the Kansas City farmers’ market. A very nice lady selling oils, jams, and other goodies was wearing gloves, that she frequently changed, and had hand sanitizer for customers to use prior to tasting her delicious dips. My friend and I spent approximately two hours roaming the river-market area looking for various items and this particular booth was the only one to provide hand hygiene materials. Locally grown food doesn’t mean safer food, especially if your hands are dirty; wash your hands prior to eating and after handling unwashed produce.

Real World cast member needs to wash his hands

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:05:16 -0600

I watch MTV. I have watched every season of the Real World since I can remember. Partly because I have a strong opinion on how MTV was the first television station to do reality shows, but mostly because I love the idiotic drama, which includes, but is not limited to drunken nights, roommate fights, and hook-ups. This season’s cast is living in Cancun, Mexico.

On last night’s episode, something really caught my attention. It was not the bisexual tendency between Ayiiia and Emily or the outing to Isla Mujeras where they swam with dolphins and sharks. It was when Derek urinated in the bushes (shown below, middle, about 60 seconds after action). He did not wash his hands after. And, yes, there is no sink behind random trees and shrubs, but just as a reminder, wash your hands, regardless of where you are.

The Little Couple sanitizes their hands

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:41:55 -0600

On last night’s episode of the Little Couple, Tuesday nights on TLC, Dr. Jennifer Arnold and her husband, Bill Klein, showed the world clips of their every day lives: honey-do lists, visiting another little person, and giving speeches. The most interesting moments, in my opinion, were the hand hygiene opportunities.

Dr. Arnold works at Texas Children’s hospital as the Medical Director of Pediatric Simulation Center and Neonatologist in Texas Children’s Newborn Center. After seeing a patient, who was prematurely born, Dr. Arnold used an alcohol based hand sanitizer to clean her hands. I was very proud that TLC did not edit this content out. It is important for healthcare workers to wash/sanitize their hands before and after patient contact.

The next scene was of Bill cleaning up dog urine; I like to believe TLC chose to edit his handwashing out. Handwashing is necessary after bathroom use and after cleaning up others’ (including dogs) bathroom mess.

NPSA fights back

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:51:57 -0600

The National Patient Safety Agency is fighting back media accusations. They’re not literally fighting, like my favorite mother of eight, Kate, and her soon to be ex-husband, Jon. The NPSA is fighting accusations saying they have endorsed the complete removal of alcohol based hand sanitizer from all clinical areas (see barfblog post: Drunk on Sanitation). In fact, the NPSA advocates the use of alcohol based hand sanitizer, but it should be concentrated in specific areas of the hospital (i.e. patient rooms and clinical areas).

Drunk on sanitation

megank@meganhardigree.com (Megan Hardigree) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:12:27 -0600

At Dorset County Hospital, in the UK, alcohol based hand sanitizing gel is now banned at hospital entrances. The hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control Committee previously placed sanitizing gel at hospital entrances to promote hospital visitor hand hygiene. According to hospital staff, homeless people are now coming into the entrance and drinking the gel, which contains up to 70 percent alcohol.

A spokeswoman from the hospital said, “What we are trying to do is focus people on hand hygiene at the point of care so that they wash or gel their hands on entering wards or at the patient’s bedside.” She further implied the removal of the alcohol gel due to ingestion was only one of many health and safety reasons. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has advised hospitals to remove alcohol gel from hospital entrances.

Two persons have died from alcohol gel ingestion.