Hand-washing might not help

As we gear up for a flu season, with H1N1 now in the mix, we’re being advised to wash our hands on a regular basis.

Bad news. Research from the Netherlands “suggests that the H1N1 flu travels mostly by air, not via hand-to-hand contact—and therefore won’t be prevented through hand-washing.”  This is not to say that hand washing isn’t important.  It can prevent the transmission of many diseases — swine flu is just probably not one of them.

So how is one to avoid getting H1N1? One possible solution is a surgical mask, but let’s face it, only the truly crazy will wear one of those in public.

The best solution? Get the vaccine when it becomes available.