Blog, Medical and healthcare
Norovirus: why the WHO advocates soap and water hand washing – not sanitisers
Feb
Norovirus Questions and Answers published in response to Olympic outbreak
The official number of norovirus cases in the Winter Olympics as of February 13th is 199, according to the Korea Center for Disease Control (KCDC). This in turn has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to publish a Norovirus Questions and Answers, according to the Outbreak News Today website.
The WHO Q&A begins with a definition of norovirus and its signs and symptoms, before moving on to how it is contracted, by consuming contaminated food, touching contaminated surfaces and via person to person contact with other people or with bodily fluids.
How to protect against norovirus – avoid gels
The article is clear on the most effective way to prevent the spread of norovirus – frequent effective hand washing with soap and water. Avoid hand sanitisers it advises.
“Practice good hand hygiene; wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before preparing or eating food and after using the toilet.”
“Soap and water is the preferred method of hand hygiene to prevent infection. In norovirus outbreaks, hand sanitizers should not be substituted for handwashing with soap and water.”
CDC Offers Tips on Preventing the Spread of Norovirus »
WHO issues ‘Norovirus Q & A’ as Olympics outbreak continues »
Hot water hand wash hire for UK medical situations
Introducing the TEAL Hygenius MediWash
On view at a number of forthcoming exhibitions will be TEAL’s market leading portable hand wash station – the Hygienius MediWash (pictured above), which enable healthcare professionals and patients to access a high quality hot water hand wash wherever and whenever it’s needed!
You can also hire hand wash units for use during norovirus outbreaks.
The TEAL Task Force
TEAL Task Force staff provide a rapid deployment and installation service for class-leading portable hand washing stations to medical facilities.
Setup and training is provided for on-site staff as part of the service.