THIS is apropos of Dr Jamal Nasir Memon's letter, 'Swine flu and washing hands' (Jan 7). The main route of infection for flu is through the respiratory tract, accepted.

Two, scientists from the UK have expressed their views regarding the role of hand washing in the prevention of flu, good.

I also agree with what Dr Memon has written about ads from multinationals.

Nevertheless, I would like everybody concerned to please consider the following

— A person with a runny nose (presumably affected with flu virus, H1N1 or other) is not sitting at home. He or she is on the move. He/she keeps on touching the nose again and again even if with a tissue.

The secretion (along with the virus particles) is very likely to be transferred in varying amounts, to all the inanimate objects he/she touches like door knobs, telephone sets, fax machines, pen, steering wheel, chair backs, cups and spoons.

Now we cannot ensure that another person will touch these things only after the secretion has dried. The probability of someone touching these things just after and then touching his/her nose is very much there.

Would it not be good that people are reminded time and again to wash hands properly and on proper occasions even if there is no flu?

For this reason the current guidelines of the World Health Organisation , Centre for Diseases Control and other international organisations recommend hand-washing for the prevention of swine flu. We should appreciate the promotion of hand hygiene as it will not only help in swine flu prevention but several other droplet infections including tuberculosis and numerous gastrointestinal infections.

DR KHURSHEED HASHMI
Head, Department.
Of Pathology,
Sindh Medical College
Karachi