On how to avoid swine flu spreading

I was going to do a long screed on the efficacy of hygiene but this is much clearer. But NSFW, it is below the fold.

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Technically one can pray while washing one's fraking hands. Not that it will do any additional good.

Perhaps people could be instructed to wash their hands for as long as it takes to say the Lord's Prayer?

By Tlönista (not verified) on 08 May 2009 #permalink

There are signs in a lot of the bathrooms at my workplace, showing proper handwashing techniques. Depending on the part of the building and maker of the sign, I guess, the song they suggest you sing varies a fair amount. "Happy Birthday" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"/the ABC Song are pretty popular, but I've seen at least one that suggests "Jesus Loves Me This I Know." Wouldn't surprise me at all to see one with the lord's prayer around here (southeastern US). The Handwashing Compliance Committee's (yes, there is a health care facility on our campus) guidelines apparently suggest adding the name of a song or poem everybody knows to the posters. Personally, I'd find this one more effective :)

Modified from the published, available here.

I've read/heard it's Happy Birthday sung twice. I just clocked myself taking 26 seconds to do that, singing out loud. Is it really necessary to wash longer than 20 seconds?

By Susan Silberstein (not verified) on 09 May 2009 #permalink

That's the difference between God and soap and water; you know the soap and water exists, so you don't have to have "faith" in them!

By Raymond Minton (not verified) on 09 May 2009 #permalink

In my amateur opinion, you need to spend as much time getting the germs off as they spent getting on, plus some extra for drying time and encrustation.

Where's that guy's pinky finger?