Dirty Desks May Foster Flu Spread This Winter
Dirty Desks May Foster Flu Spread This Winter
Germ-Infested Desks May Plague Office Workers
Oct. 28, 2004 -- Failing to clean off your desk before lunch not only raises the risk of salad dressing spilling onto your work, but it could also increase your chances of getting sick.
A new report shows that close to half of Americans don't clean their desks before eating at them, and a third don't wash their hands, which may foster the spread of infectious diseases like colds and flu.
Due to a shortage of the flu vaccine this year, health officials have urged the public to take measures to reduce their risk, and researchers say improving at-work hygiene and hand washing habits could have a major impact in reducing sick days.
"Desks, phones, door knobs, conference tables, fax machines and other common workplace areas can be breeding grounds for bacteria-spreading germs," says Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, in a news release. "Of course, germs are spread hand-to-hand, but those hands touch a variety of surfaces we come in contact with every day."
The nonprofit cleaning industry trade group surveyed about 1,000 adults about their cleaning and hygiene habits at work and found 46% of Americans don't clean their desks before lunch.
But there was a big difference in healthy office habits between men and women. The survey showed that 57% of women clean up their desks before eating but 57% of men do not.
"Common sense hand hygiene, surface cleaning and disinfection practices are valuable tools to help keep the workplace healthy -- especially in the midst of cold and flu season," says Sansoni. "We don't want to see poor hygiene habits lead to an absentee workforce."
Health experts say frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of colds and flu.
While 51% overall considered hand washing a top way to prevent colds and flu, more women (60%) thought so than men (42%). Both men and women listed other top cold and flu prevention tactics including healthy diet (23%), immunization (11%), and proper sleep (8%).
Dirty Desks May Foster Flu Spread This Winter
Germ-Infested Desks May Plague Office Workers
Oct. 28, 2004 -- Failing to clean off your desk before lunch not only raises the risk of salad dressing spilling onto your work, but it could also increase your chances of getting sick.
A new report shows that close to half of Americans don't clean their desks before eating at them, and a third don't wash their hands, which may foster the spread of infectious diseases like colds and flu.
Due to a shortage of the flu vaccine this year, health officials have urged the public to take measures to reduce their risk, and researchers say improving at-work hygiene and hand washing habits could have a major impact in reducing sick days.
"Desks, phones, door knobs, conference tables, fax machines and other common workplace areas can be breeding grounds for bacteria-spreading germs," says Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, in a news release. "Of course, germs are spread hand-to-hand, but those hands touch a variety of surfaces we come in contact with every day."
The nonprofit cleaning industry trade group surveyed about 1,000 adults about their cleaning and hygiene habits at work and found 46% of Americans don't clean their desks before lunch.
But there was a big difference in healthy office habits between men and women. The survey showed that 57% of women clean up their desks before eating but 57% of men do not.
"Common sense hand hygiene, surface cleaning and disinfection practices are valuable tools to help keep the workplace healthy -- especially in the midst of cold and flu season," says Sansoni. "We don't want to see poor hygiene habits lead to an absentee workforce."
Hand-Washing Habits Lax
Health experts say frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of colds and flu.
While 51% overall considered hand washing a top way to prevent colds and flu, more women (60%) thought so than men (42%). Both men and women listed other top cold and flu prevention tactics including healthy diet (23%), immunization (11%), and proper sleep (8%).