cheryl
Administrator
Staff member
Is hand sanitizer better at preventing the flu than soap and water? - Harvard
Frequent use of hand sanitizer, instead of soap and water, may lead to fewer respiratory infections, fewer sick days, and less antibiotic use — at least if you’re a toddler. A Spanish study enrolled 911 children who attended day care, from newborns up to three-year-olds, and randomly assigned them to one of three groups.
In the control group, parents and caregivers continued usual hand care for the toddlers. In the two intervention groups, children were assigned to either labor-intensive hand sanitizer use or soap and water handwashing. Parents and caregivers were instructed to either apply hand sanitizer or wash the toddlers’ hands when they arrived at the classroom in the morning; before and after lunch; after playing outside; after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their noses; after diapering; and before they left for home. In both groups, handwashing with soap and water was mandatory after using the toilet or when hands were grossly soiled.
Outcomes in the hand sanitizer group were significantly better than either the soap and water group or the control group. The hand sanitizer group had lower rates of respiratory infections and missed fewer days of school, compared to the other two groups. Kids in the hand sanitizer group were also less likely to be prescribed antibiotics for respiratory infections.
Frequent use of hand sanitizer, instead of soap and water, may lead to fewer respiratory infections, fewer sick days, and less antibiotic use — at least if you’re a toddler. A Spanish study enrolled 911 children who attended day care, from newborns up to three-year-olds, and randomly assigned them to one of three groups.
In the control group, parents and caregivers continued usual hand care for the toddlers. In the two intervention groups, children were assigned to either labor-intensive hand sanitizer use or soap and water handwashing. Parents and caregivers were instructed to either apply hand sanitizer or wash the toddlers’ hands when they arrived at the classroom in the morning; before and after lunch; after playing outside; after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their noses; after diapering; and before they left for home. In both groups, handwashing with soap and water was mandatory after using the toilet or when hands were grossly soiled.
Outcomes in the hand sanitizer group were significantly better than either the soap and water group or the control group. The hand sanitizer group had lower rates of respiratory infections and missed fewer days of school, compared to the other two groups. Kids in the hand sanitizer group were also less likely to be prescribed antibiotics for respiratory infections.