Now wash your hands ...
Microbiologist Professor Val Edwards-Jones dishes the dirt on the nasties close at hand in daily life.
You might have thought the importance of washing our hands had been drilled into us during the pandemic ... but it appears you would be wrong.
A swab test of high-touch points like cash machines and escalator handrails has revealed the mucky facts of what lies beneath your hands during the commute.
The study was conducted by sanitiser maker Steril-eeze at various locations across London in early April before lockdown eased. The results make for grim reading.
Professor Val Edwards Jones, who conducted the analysis, said: “I would have expected these high touch areas to have significantly less bacterial contamination with all the extra hygiene and cleaning protocols now in place at commuter stations, but the fact that we found up to 15 different bacteria colonies including faecal matter clearly shows that although you may be washing your hands and sanitising as the government advises, the person in front of you might not be making such a good job of it. Hand hygiene has never been more important. It’s been a long haul but we need to stay vigilant, sanitise hands, mask up and stay socially distanced.”
The high levels of bacteria surprised Prof Edwards-Jones given the availability of sanitising stations at all commuter points, and the campaigns urging the public to continue hand washing and sanitising.
The microbiologist, who is an adviser to Steril-eeze, found environmental, skin and gastro-intestinal tract organisms during her analysis. The risks of picking such bacteria up on your hands from touching objects are well established.
Scientist Val, an Emeritus Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “There has always been a risk to commuters of picking up a faecal pathogen such as Salmonella, Rotavirus and Norovirus if it has been previously touched by someone carrying the infection on their unwashed hands. Finding faecal matter on these high touch areas indicate that not everyone washes their hands. Everyone should be cautious when travelling and make sure they decontaminate their hands often, especially before eating.”
So what else can we do to protect ourselves from all these nasties? It would be tempting to reach for a pair of disposable gloves, but Val believes these are more of a hindrance and can lead people into relaxing their cleaning routines.
She added: “Whilst we can’t be responsible for the hand hygiene of others, we can look after our own. Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the bathroom, and carry sanitiser when you’re out and about and don’t have access to soap and water.”
But germs are all around us, not just on the commute to work or a trip to the shops. During lockdown Val conducted a videod experiment at home on the amount of bacteria you can find on an everyday object like a pen. During the video she put the pen in her mouth and then examined it with an ATP monitor. The findings equated to 5,682 organisms. Val said the pen was “very heavily contaminated”.
The scientist then thoroughly cleaned the pen with Steril-eeze and left it to dry before taking another reading with the ATP meter. This time the reading amounted to zero organisms, a 99.99 per cent reduction.
The alcohol-free sanitiser, which won the travel health category at the Independent Community Pharmacist product of the year 2021, is hypochlorous-based. In essence, it replicates hypochlorous acid, a naturally occurring agent produced by our body’s white blood cells to help defend us against infection. The weak acid has long been used in wound care in hospitals and as a clinical disinfectant in UK dental surgeries, swimming pools, and commercial food preparation areas. Recent advances in engineering technology have enabled its production as a hand sanitiser.
Steril-eeze is scientifically proven to kill 99.99 per cent of bacteria and viruses on hands and surfaces. Tests have also shown it to be just as effective as alcohol sanitisers.
But it has an added benefit, it’s kind to your hands. Dry hands or sensitive skin following extra hand washing have become one of the recurring problems during lockdown. But Prof Edwards-Jones says the benefits of Steril-eeze are twofold. She said: “I’ve long been a fan of hypochlorous, and Steril-eeze is a great product for killing bacteria and viruses. Because it is alcoholfree, it doesn’t dry the skin and can safely be used on surfaces and masks etc.
“In fact clinical studies have shown the benefits of hypochlorous in treating various skin disorders such as dermatitis and pruritus (itching skin) partly due to its anti-inflammatory properties, so rest assured it will be kind to your sensitive skin.”
It’s easy to get squeamish about various germs that surround us, but Val has some straightforward advice on how to stay one step ahead of the bugs: “The most beneficial action is to wash hands regularly and carry sanitiser for when you can’t.”