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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Hand Washing Called Key to Infection Prevention

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Monday, December 5, 2016   

LANSING, Mich. – Colds and flu are common this time of year, but health experts say those illnesses and other infections often can be prevented with just a little soap and water.

It is National Handwashing Awareness Week, and medical professionals are educating Michiganders about the importance of hand hygiene.

Dr. Robert Jackson, president of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, explains that besides regular hand washing it is also important to avoid touching what’s called the T-zone, an entry point for germs.

"Your hands are not always clean and they're never 100 percent clean,” he points out. “So if you avoid your eyes, your nose, your mouth – that T-shaped area – then you can oftentimes reduce your likelihood of getting an infection."

Jackson also suggests not coughing or sneezing into your hands, and washing hands both when they are dirty and before eating.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends hands be washed with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. And if that is not possible, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Jackson notes there's no comparing which one is better, hand washing or sanitizer, as each has its own purpose. For example, soap and water are best for after using the bathroom or when hands are dirty. Other times, a hand sanitizer is a good option.

"It's not always possible to clean your hands,” he allows. “If you're in a store, you get a shopping cart, you can't cleanse the whole cart. You can't cleanse everything you might touch in the store."

It's also a good idea to remind others to wash their hands, says Jackson, including health care workers.

"'You cleansed your hands, didn't you?'” Jackson relates. “That's an OK question to ask. A medical professional might get distracted. You know, 'Hello, how you doing'? How are the kids?' They ask you a question or two and didn't grab the hand sanitizer because of a distraction."

According to the CDC, hand washing also can reduce the amount of antibiotics people use and the likelihood of antibiotic resistance.



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