Flu: Handwashing and masks beat drugs in effectiveness

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Saturday, December 1, 2007

Handwashing, Masks Beat Drugs at Fighting Flu

Data review finds they're best at keeping individuals safe

(HealthDay News) -- When it comes to fighting the spread of influenza

and other respiratory viruses, physical barrier measures -- such as

handwashing and wearing masks, gloves and gowns -- may be more effective

than drugs.

That's the conclusion of new research by experts who reviewed 51

published studies on the topic.

While many nations are stockpiling antiviral drugs to prepare for a

possible future flu pandemic, there's increasing evidence that such drugs

and vaccines won't be sufficient to block the spread of a major outbreak,

noted a team led by Del Mar of the faculty of health sciences and

medicine at Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.

On the other hand, there's clear evidence of a link between personal

and environmental hygiene and infections, the researchers said. However,

until now, there haven't been any comprehensive reviews of this evidence.

The studies examined by the review authors compared interventions to

prevent viral animal-to-human or human-to-human transmission of respiratory

viruses -- isolation, quarantine, social distancing, barriers, personal

protection and hygiene -- to other kinds of interventions or to doing

nothing. These studies did not include antiviral drugs or vaccines.

Handwashing and wearing masks, gloves and gowns were effective

individually in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses, and were even

more effective when all three were used in combination, the review authors

found. Combining these measures may be more effective than antiviral drugs

in fighting a pandemic, they said.

The review was published online Wednesday in the British Medical

Journal.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about personal

protective equipment and influenza.

-- Preidt

SOURCE: British Medical Journal, news release, Nov. 28, 2007