Hand hygiene companies have been producing their own swine flu information on the role that hand washing has to play in reducing the risk of illness. But are their messages consistent with the swine flu advice given out by international health bodies? And do they have references to back up their claims?

Related story: new products, hand hygiene

The number of confirmed swine flu cases hit 375,000 worldwide last month (October), a figure that included upwards of 4,500 deaths. The role of hand hygiene in helping to prevent the spread of the virus has been universally acknowledged. The World Health Organisation’s advice is that thorough hand cleaning either with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub can help to reduce the risk of catching and transmitting the virus.

The Center for Disease Control, meanwhile, confirms that we should wash our hands frequently but use alcohol-based hand rubs only where soap and water are not available. In environments where alcohol-based products are forbidden - in schools and prisons where their flammability or potential as an intoxicant is of concern – non-alcohol hand sanitisers are suggested instead. Both bodies also say we should cover our nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

Most of us trust the word of these authoritative organisations whose chief concern is our collective good health. But in the meantime, hand hygiene companies have been giving out their own swine flu information to customers. How far does this tally with the health authorities’ advice?

One of the first manufacturers to emerge with a swine flu message was Brightwell Dispensers which set up an information page on its website in June. The company reiterates the main World Health Organisation messages: to cover the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing and sneezing, to throw the tissue away afterwards, to wash the hands regularly with soap and water and to clean all hard surfaces.

The campaign also mentions that Brightwell offers modular dispensers that house alcohol-based sanitisers or soap in a range of formats. “We are reminding people of the importance of washing and sanitising their hands, and telling them we have the products to do it with,” said marketing executive Matt Dwelly. “We are not going to turn customers away.”

He said he felt hand hygiene customers had a responsibility to release their own swine flu information to customers. “We are simply meeting demand,” he said. “This is an important service as long as the information being given out adheres to international health guidelines and companies are not sending out conflicting messages.”

Four steps campaign

The campaign consists of an educational leaflet on good hygiene practice combined with offers on key winter hygiene products. There is also an information-based website that encourages customers to stock up for winter on products such as Kleenex and Scott facial tissues, Airflex fabric hand towels, Kimcare hand cleanser and the Wettask wiping system.

The company advocates the use of closed cartridge soaps since it claims bulk-fill systems are more likely to become contaminated with germs. This has been backed up in a study carried out at the University of Arizona earlier this year that showed 25 per cent of bulk refillable soap dispensers contained unsafe levels of bacteria.

The Kimberly-Clark information does not mention alcohol-based sanitisers. “We don’t specifically recommend them; we don’t sell alcohol gels so we are not experts,” said Knight-Jones. “However, all the data points to the fact alcohol gels are very efficient.”

Tork manufacturer SCA’s own swine flu information appeared on the company’s web network in October. The Tork international website campaign advocates the use of liquid soap and water for hand washing but adds alcohol gels may be used as a supplement.

“We have been giving out hand hygiene advice for about 10 years, and we felt that stepping up this advice during a pandemic had to be carried out sensitively,“ said European marketing director Brian Parkinson. “We don’t want to profit by increasing the level of anxiety among our customers  over swine flu. We simply want people to understand the important role that hand washing and hand drying can play, and we felt our customers expected this additional information.”

Hand drying emphasis

However the company does stress the need for hand drying – a subject not covered in any great detail by the WHO or CDC. “Most of the material being put out by governments and other organisations is very good, but hand drying is a critical stage of the process and we don’t feel that much of the available advice focuses sufficiently on this,” said Parkinson.

He refers to a study carried out by Patrick Findon and Miller in 1997 which concluded that the transfer of bacteria from one person or object to another is hugely increased if the hands are damp. “Moisture on the hands is a major influence in contact transfer. If you haven’t dried your hands you are going to leave more germs on the doorknob than if you had,” he explained.

Deviating from advice

This is confirmed in the WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare document, which states that wet hands can more readily acquire and spread microorganisms and that the proper hand drying is an integral part of routine hand washing.

Joe Ovenden, sales director of Vectair which manufactures hand sanitisers, feels that some of the company’s rivals are cashing in on the swine flu pandemic. “A large number of people are deviating from the good recommendations of the health organisations,“ he said.

“They are saying that hand sanitisers are the be all and end all and are over-exaggerating their capabilities. But we are not going to jump on the H1N1 bandwagon. We believe sanitisers complement a hand washing regime and help to prevent cross-contamination - they do not replace regular hand washing with soap nor remove the dirt."

Vectair’s own swine flu advice takes the form of general hand hygiene messages on the company’s extranet website which is aimed specifically at customers.

Technical Concepts went live with its own web campaign in October dealing with the more general topic of winter health. The website includes hand hygiene posters and postcards to generate direct mail leads, and the information links to the company’s One Shot and Auto Foam soap systems plus TC Auto Foam Hygienic hand rub systems.

The focus of Technical Concepts’ campaign is on no-touch systems. “Good hand washing and drying are essential, but hand sanitisers provide that extra step for safety,” said marketing manager Joanne Snowden. “In some environments you don’t have the facilities to wash and dry your hands – on the underground for example if you hold the hand rail you will know that thousands have held it before you. Hand gels are useful for these types of environments.”

According to Snowden the company’s swine flu information was released in response to customer demand. “They don’t want to see their workforce brought to their knees because half the staff are off with the flu,” she said. “We are not cashing in on swine flu – there is a demand for this.”