Stay Well, Practice Hand Washing
The New Mexico Department of Health reminds residents this flu season of the importance of hand washing to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.
December 1st – 7th is National Hand Washing Awareness Week, and despite widespread knowledge of the importance of hand washing, there is still room for improvement. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 31% of men and 65% of women wash their hands after using a public restroom Frequent hand washing can prevent not only common diseases like colds, but also more serious diseases like hepatitis A, and meningitis.
“It’s more than just a courtesy. It’s a genuine health concern,” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary, Retta Ward, MPH. “Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them.”
The Department of Health reminds New Mexicans to wash your hands:
- before/during/after preparing food, before eating
- after using the toilet, after changing diapers or cleaning a child after using the toilet
- before/after caring for sick people
- after blowing your nose/coughing/sneezing
- before/after caring for cuts/wounds
- after touching an animal or its feed or waste
- after touching garbage
The CDC reports the correct way of washing hands is to:
- Wet hands with water and use soap.
- Rub your hands together, making sure to scrub all areas.
- Rub for a minimum of 15 seconds.
- Rinse thoroughly, then dry hands on a clean towel.
- Turn faucet off with the towel, not hands, to keep away from recontamination.
For more information visit the School and Adolescent Health section of our website.
Media Contact
We would be happy to provide additional information about this press release. Simply contact David Morgan at 575-528-5197 (Office) or 575-649-0754 (Mobile) with your questions.