Healthy Holiday Season: Wash your Hands & Stay Home if You Are Sick!

Wash, Wash, Wash and Wash again! December 6-12, 2015 is National Handwashing Awareness Week. It’s the time of year for parties, get-togethers and holiday celebrations. It’s also flu season, and a common time for the spread of disease and illness. The Colorado cold keeps our windows and doors closed, creating an atmosphere for germs to collect and hide. Here is a cheat sheet on the 7 Germiest Places and Things to clean before the holidays.

Following basic public health practices during the holidays, such as washing your hands, can effectively stop the spread of germs and many diseases.

When should you wash your hands?

• Before, during, and after preparing food;
• Before eating food;
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick;
• Before and after treating a cut or wound;
• After using the toilet;
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet;
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing;
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste; and, 
• After touching garbage.

What is the right way to wash your hands?

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Resources:

Stay Home if You’re Sick (poster); Wash Your Hands (brochure); JCPH Flu shots (web page) Stop the spread of germs (web page). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also offers an excellent Feature on Handwashing, or visit the CDC Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives page.

Healthy Holiday Season: Wash your Hands & Stay Home if You Are Sick!

Wash, Wash, Wash and Wash again! December 7-13, 2014 is National Handwashing Week. It’s the time of year for parties, get-togethers and holiday celebrations. It’s also flu season, and a common time for the spread of disease and illness. The Colorado cold keeps our windows and doors closed, creating an atmosphere for germs to collect and hide. Here is a cheat sheet on the 7 Germiest Places and Things to clean before the holidays.

Following basic public health practices during the holidays, such as washing your hands, can effectively stop the spread of germs and many diseases.

When should you wash your hands?

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After touching garbage

What is the right way to wash your hands?

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Resources:

Stay Home if You’re Sick (poster); Wash Your Hands (brochure); JCPH Flu shots (web page) Stop the spread of germs (web page). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also offers an excellent Feature on Handwashing, or visit the CDC Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives page.

Healthy Habits Prevent Spread of Disease

Our hands are exposed to germs with our every action. Keeping hands clean through proper handwashing practices is one the most effective and important steps taken to control spreading germs and/or getting sick. People often touch their eyes, nose, and mouth-- places where many germs exist—with their hands numerous times each day without even noticing. Germs can also make their way onto our hands after using the toilet, handling raw foods, shaking hands with another person, or touching any object someone has sneezed or coughed on or around, for example. 

With the height of flu season just ahead and other viruses and illnesses threatening our health this fall, it’s important to use the most basic sanitary practices to stay well. Simply washing hands with soap and clean, running water can prevent the spread of many diseases, illnesses and conditions and help people and communities stay healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), handwashing with soap could protect about 1 out of every 3 young children who get sick with diarrhea and nearly 1 out of every 6 young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia.

For more information on the correct handwashing procedures view this brochure.

A Public Health Smart Holiday Season . . . Wash your Hands, Stay Home if You’re Sick!

It’s the time of year for parties, get-togethers and celebrations. It’s also flu season and a common time for the spread of disease and illness. Following basic public health practices during the holidays, such as washing hands, staying home if you’re sick and adhering to proper food handling and preparation techniques, can help you and your family from getting sick or from spreading illness to others.

Stay Home if You’re Sick (poster); Wash Your Hands (brochure) You have a Role in Food Safety (handout) JCPH Flu shots (web page) Stop the spread of germs (web page)

Wash, Wash, Wash and Wash again! December 1-7, 2013 is National Handwashing Week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers an excellent Feature on Handwashing .

Got Milk? Be Sure It’s Pasteurized

Raw milk — milk that comes straight from the cow, goat or sheep without being pasteurized can carry harmful bacteria and other germs that can cause severe illness, even death. The same goes for milk products such as certain cheeses, ice cream, and yogurt produced from raw milk.  


Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to a high enough temperature for a long enough time to kill disease-causing bacteria contained in the milk. Pasteurization became widespread in the United States by 1950. While the retail sale of raw milk is banned in many states, including Colorado, it is still made available in this state and others through the purchase of a cow or goat share operation.  In this case, the consumer purchases a share of the actual animal and receives a quantity of the milk produced. Milk and milk products in Colorado are monitored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability.  Inspections are regularly performed and products are regularly sampled at all dairy farms, dairy plants and milk plants around Colorado.


Public health officials warn consumers that consuming raw milk poses a high risk of contracting foodborne illness.

• The Centers for Disease Control has a  raw milk website that contains useful information and materials, including a list of relevant publications and other scientific resources on illnesses associated with raw milk consumption.

• Raw Milk Frequently Asked Questions from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

• Real RawMilk Facts: Families share their stories on video to help raise awareness about the potential risks and negative effects on health from drinking contaminated raw milk.  Real Life Stories page.