Clean hands are key to cutting infections 洗手防流感

Clean hands are key to cutting infections, say experts

If everyone were to wash their hands the risk of colds, flu and even bird flu would be much less, say UK experts. Professor John Oxford, of London's Queen Mary's School of Medicine, warns many people are failing to do so and are complacent about personal hygiene.

His team looked at the most effective methods to prevent the transmission of colds and flu, including bird flu.

Rather than relying on products such as antiviral tissues, personal cleanliness should be a priority, they say.

Hand cleaning came out top, followed by disinfecting surfaces.

Personal cleanliness and hygiene levels have dropped steadily over the last decades. Attention must be paid to hand washing

Professor John Oxford

The least effective way to prevent transmission of the common cold is through the use of virucidal nasal tissues, Professor Oxford and colleague Dr Rob Lambkin, also from Queen Mary's, concluded.

Studies have shown that viruses can survive on human hands for several hours and that they can be spread by direct contact.

As well as through coughs and sneezes, a person may pick up the virus on their fingers by touching an infected object or person.

Breaking the chain

If they then rub their nose or eyes with their virus-contaminated fingers they can become ill themselves and spread the infection to others, leading to a vicious cycle.

The UK experts say the best way to break the chain is for people to wash their hands.

This is a very sensible precaution that should be taken, especially as we approach winter and colds and viruses are likely to be emerging

Dr Mark Britton, chairman of the British Lung Foundation

Professor Oxford said: "Unfortunately, personal cleanliness and hygiene levels have dropped steadily over the last decades with many microbes, as never before, using the opportunity to spread.

"First and foremost to reduce virus transmission attention must be paid to hand washing and then when this is satisfactory, focus on cleansing surfaces and equipment shared by others such as desks, tables, telephones and door knobs."

He said it was important that people did not come to rely on antiviral tissues to reduce the spread of viruses and then reduce hand washing as this could lead to an increase in infection of what could be very serious respiratory viruses.

"Quite rightly for influenza, great reliance continues to be placed on vaccines and antiviral drugs, but still virus destruction on surfaces and hand washing continues to be an important adjunct."

Dr Mark Britton, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, said: "It is absolutely reasonable what they are saying. People need to be reminded about the importance of basic hand hygiene.

COMMON HOME SURFACES THAT CAN HARBOUR VIRUSES (in descending order of risk)

Phone receiver

Light switches

Door knobs

Toilet flush handle

Source: Journal of Infection, August 2005, pages 103-9

"This is a very sensible precaution that should be taken, especially as we approach winter and colds and viruses are likely to be emerging."

Dr Graham Archard, of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said improved hygiene would help prevent flu, but added that it was also important for those at high risk - such over 65 years old - to be vaccinated against the influenza virus.

Professor Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff said: "The only way to avoid catching a cold is to become a hermit.

"If you are in contact with other people you are likely to get a cold as the viruses are so common."

He said the best way a person could reduce the risk of catching a cold was to:

•wash hands regularly, especially after being in crowded places

•use a tissue thick enough so that it won't break apart when blowing their nose and dispose of it after use

I.            Words

1.   infection 感染       2. expert 專家     3. risk 風險     4. warn 警告

5. complacent 滿意的       6. hygiene 衛生     7. effective  有效的

8. transmission 傳送        9. rely on 依賴        10. antiviral 抗病毒的

11. priority 優先         12. disinfect 消毒         13. surface 表面

14. steadily 穩定        15. virucidal 殺濾過性病毒的      16. nasal 鼻的

17. virus 病毒        18. spread 散佈        19. virus-contaminated 病毒汙染的

20. vicious 惡性的      21. sensible 察覺到的       22. precaution 預防

23. approach接近       24. microbe 微生物        25. foremost 最先的

26. door knob 門把        27. respiratory 呼吸的        28. influenza 流行性感冒

29. reliance 信賴          30. vaccines 疫苗             31. adjunct  附屬物

II.          Grammar

1.   If everyone were to wash their hands the risk of colds, flu and even bird flu would be much less.

 ** 假設語氣

a)   與現在事實相反

S + were/Ved + ~ , S + would/could/might/should + V ~

b)   與過去事實相反

S + had +pp ~ , S + would/could/might/should + have + pp ~

c)   未來不可能發生的事

S + were to + V ~ , S + would/could/might/should + V ~

d)   未來可能發生的事

S + should(萬一) + V ~ , S + will/would/can/could/may/might/should + V~

2.   Rather than relying on products such as antiviral tissues, personal cleanliness should be a priority, they say.

 ** rather than 而不是~

   寧願~ 也不願~ : would + V rather than + V

                 = would rather + V than + V

3.   Personal cleanliness and hygiene levels have dropped steadily over the last decades.

 ** 現在完成式(從過去某刻持續到現在為止的狀態)

   S + have/has + pp ~ since + S + Ved ~/過去式時間點

                         for/in/during/over the past/last + 一段時間

4.   Studies have shown that viruses can survive on human hands for several hours and that they can be spread by direct contact.

 ** 名詞子句: that + 完整子句

   此處的名詞子句有二個: that viruses can survive on human hands for several hours 和

    that they can be spread by direct contact。第一個名詞子句的that可以省略，但第二個  

   名詞子句的that則否。