This Week's News

Posted by Judy Arbique Mar 19, 2007

Why can't people just wash their hands?! This comes from a healthcare worker who does wash their hands, but questions just how diligent I am; especially, when I see a section of the hospital closed to visitors, once again due to an outbreak of a gastrointestinal viral infection (Norovirus). Norovirus has been riding the surf at the healthcare facilities in Nova Scotia all winter, and it seems it still hasn't left us. Why not?

Norovirus is extremely infectious, taking only a few viral particles to infect, and is spread primarily through poor hand hygiene which suggests that healthcare workers having not been diligent in washing their hands. It is tempting to 'tsk' 'tsk' healthcare workers because of this; however, think about your own hand hygiene habits. Do you wash your hands before using the bathroom? Do you wash your hands after using the bathroom....always? Do you turn the taps off with your bare hands after just washing and drying them? Do you open the bathroom door using a fresh piece of paper towel? Do you wear gloves and other appropriate protective gear every time you have personal contact with another person? And, do you wash your hands after touching anything that someone else may have handled?

That is exactly what we expect of our healthcare staff....it seems like an almost impossible task in our personal daily lives...why should we expect differently in our work environments?

U.S. researchers have found that when given only one dose of chickenpox (varicella virus) vaccine, immunity can wear off after a period of time. Recommondations have been changed based on this research. It is now recommended that two vaccine doses are given to improve the longevity of immunity. Currently, Canada uses single-dose chickenpox immunization. Will we see the immunization schedule revised to include two doses?

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Noroviruses