Do you really wash your hands?
Bottom Line: Fecal contamination is real and not washing your hands is gross. I’ve yet to find people who readily admit to being those people but unfortunately the odds are it’s you. Last year the CDC found that only 65% of women wash their hands after using the restroom and disgustingly low 31% of men were in a similar situation. This is currently relevant because after two people in Palm City died due to hepatitis A recently, another two cases have popped up in Martin County.
According to the Florida Health Department, hepatitis A is in “outbreak” mode. That’s bad when it’s the flu and potentially worse when it’s hepatitis A. The means of distribution is generally equitably gross with a wrinkle. The most common way hepatitis A is contracted is through fecal matter. This takes us back to the previous point. If more than two-thirds of men aren’t washing hands and more than a third of women aren’t - there’s no shortage of opportunity abound.
This is awful enough when there’s not a hepatitis A outbreak but being pooed and then potentially dying an awful death from it is worse. Here’s where I want to be the optimist. If people weren’t previously motivated to wash hands due to the desire to not be disgusting – perhaps the threat of death could do the trick? The 20 seconds saved by not washing your hands could kill you. How’s that for a slogan? And where’s my hand sanitizer? Too many people are gross...