In Australia, specifically in New South Wales where I am at the moment, the state government has been running an awareness campaign with respect to the spread of H1N1.
This is one of the posters:
Yup. Wash your hands, friends.
The stress on soap is consistent with Ms. Hwa’s opinion published who guest-blogged here earlier. To recap, she wrote:
Some researchers think that flu is more likely to spread by contact or fomites (contaminated objects) in tropical regions. That means that your best friend is not a facemask, but a soap bottle. As an enveloped virus, flu is particularly susceptible to detergents. Why this has not been more strongly emphasized by the MOH, and why you can see toilet attendants wearing facemasks while guarding public toilets with no soap, boggles the mind. Masquerading: H1N1, facemasks and soap. Hwa Shi-Hsia
