‘Tis the Season’ To Wash Your Hands

 

     It’s that time of the year again when holiday hugs and well wishes can easily spread winter’s GI bugs to loved ones, friends and hospital patients.

 

     “I want to remind everyone coming to the hospital to wash their hands carefully before visiting patients,” said Dr. Joseph Gadbaw, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Lawrence & Memorial and Chief of Infectious Diseases.

 

     “In speaking with community physicians and hospital staff, we are noticing an increase in the number of hospital patients presenting with gastrointestinal bugs,” said Dr. Gadbaw.  “While these handful of cases are controlled and confined, I want to alert the community that going forward, it will be important that everyone use the hand sanitizer available in the hospital lobby before visiting patients and to wash their hands often with soap and water during holiday season “get-togethers” to avoid spreading these winter bugs to family, friends and patients.”

 

     Fortunately this latest GI bug only seems to last 24-hours, said Dr. Gadbaw, and it presents with the normal symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  He noted that in some cases, people can actually be contagious 24-hours before the symptoms occur. He advises people to pay attention to subtle symptoms, like mild nausea, coughing, or a mild temperature that can often be a clue to an oncoming infection. “Whenever people leave large gatherings like movie theatres, shopping centers, office holiday parties, family gatherings, religious services, large events or high-traffic areas, it always best to carry your own portable sanitizer and use it to clean your hands to remove 99 percent of these germs before you can bring them back home,” said Dr. Gadbaw. If people experience any lasting symptoms, and are concerned, Dr. Gadbaw recommended that they contact their primary care physician.

 

     Like the precautionary steps taken by the hospital during these times, he said the public can increase their environmental cleaning at home to keep germs under control and he encouraged everyone to wash their hands before eating meals, a common way to infect oneself. The infectious disease specialist also indicated that Lawrence & Memorial has not seen any cases of the flu yet.