Professor John Oxford, the chairperson for the Global Hygiene Council and expert on Swine, as well as Professor Barry Shoub and Dr Kgosi Letlape, both members of the Hygiene Council, speak to us about the pandemic...
You are in SA for the annual Global Hygiene Council meeting, what is the agenda of this meeting?
"This is actually part of a world tour. Basically we are here to discuss the findings of our International Hygiene Study 2009 and also the hot topic of Swine flu," says Oxford.
"The study in particular reveals trends on hygiene levels in households in different countries and where the infection hotspots lie. For example, highchairs where babies are fed are fraught with bacteria as well as the kitchen towel. These surfaces are a key aid in viral infections as well."
"Viruses stick to your hands and are transferred to these surfaces, thus spreading influenza and similar diseases."
Letlape says: "This study highlights areas where behaviour can be changed in the home in order to prevent the spread of diseases. Fifteen percent of households in South Africa actually only use water and no soap to wash their hands. This is something we want to change."
Lastly, Shoub, who is somewhat of an expert on Swine flu notes: "Swine flu is now a formal pandemic and we have an official confirmed case in South Africa (a 12-year-old boy), which is an isolated case, but this won't be for long.
"The virus is bound to be introduced, although we have reached the peak of it right now. What we want to do is help the ordinary man on the street protect himself.
"This is by informing people about coughing/sneezing etiquette, washing of hands with disinfectant like Dettol, and keeping of social distances from those who are sick."
How representative is this study?
Says Oxford, "it's a snap sample from eight different countries, where 1000 people answered questionnaires in each country and 29 families were studied".
"We have been doing this for several years now though so we can definitely see trends that have developed."
A large number of South Africans are not educated or don't necessarily have access to information. How is the council educating people?
Says Letlape, "You will actually be amazed how even rural people in South Africa are educated about these things and how information does filter through to these areas".
"People rock up to vote don't they? How do you think they get this information? A lot of people hear things through the radio, TV and even through their communities."
"Many educated people are actually the ones that don't use this information, I mean how many educated people will go into a restroom and not wash their hands, I think you will be amazed," adds Oxford.
"Oh and for more information on how you can protect yourself go to www.hygienecouncil.com"
There a lot of myths surrounding Swine flu, for example, can you get it from walking past someone in the street?
Professor Shoub answers, "Basically you get it from other people coughing and sneezing and the droplets going into your respiratory tract, or touching something and then putting your hand to your nose or mouth".
"So no, I wouldn't say you can get it from someone in the street, unless they happen to sneeze in your face. It's mainly through close contact in a confined space.
"With airplanes you won't actually get it in the air since there are filters in a plane, but soon as you are grounded waiting to get off the plane you could certainly get it. Even a taxi from the airport is a more likely place to get it, because it's a confined space..."
The World Health Organisation has declared a pandemic. What is a pandemic?
"A pandemic is when there are sustained transmissions", says Shoub. "The disease has spread across all regions and therefore it is a pandemic. Also diseases spread much quicker these days because of air travel."
Apparently a number of companies are testing vaccines, when do you think they will be approved by?
"These usually take four to six months, so probably around September this year," says Oxford.
What about Tamiflu?
"Tamiflu (as well as another drug called Relenza) has helped a lot but what we are trying to emphasise that good hygiene is the first step to preventing the spread of the flu, along with these other drugs and eventually the vaccine as well," says Oxford.
"Many places in South Africa have run out of Tamiflu," says Shoub, "as there was an initial panic, but I think it should be in stock in pharmacies. It's more for more severe cases of flu rather than mild cases, so pharmacies should only give it out accordingly".
See the video of Professor Oxford:
2009 Hygiene in the Home Study: Key findings
The following information refers to samples taken from 20 homes in the eight different countries: Australia, Germany, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UK, and USA, as part of the Hygiene in the Home Study 2009, carried out by the Hygiene Council.
The information also refers to the results of a questionnaire completed by an inhabitant of each of the homes in each of the countries. Householders were asked a series of questions, including how often they clean selected household items, how they rate the cleanliness of their homes and which items they think harbour most bacteria.
Global
The kitchen cloth is one of the dirtiest items in the home. Overall, 86 percent of cloths were found to be unsatisfactory or worse, with 76 percent being heavily contaminated or poor. It would appear that the kitchen cloth often gets overlooked when it comes to cleaning with the majority just rinsing it in washing up liquid.
Kitchen cloths and taps are dirtier than toilet flushes and toilet door handles. While 86 percent of kitchen cloths and 52 percent of kitchen taps were found to be unsatisfactory or worse, only 15 percent of toilet flushes and 16 percent of toilet door handles were unsatisfactory or worse.
More highchairs or places where children eat (19 percent) have unsatisfactory or worse levels of bacteria than toilet flushes (15 percent) and five percent of highchairs (or places where children eat) are contaminated with E. coli. This is concerning as only a few organisms of some strains of E. coli could result in severe illness in children. Surprisingly, eight percent of householders admitted to never cleaning the highchair.
In South Africa?
South Africa, overall, has a reasonable level of home hygiene (77 percent of results were satisfactory and three percent were spotless, however 15 percent of samples were heavily contaminated).
The dirtiest item in the South African household is the kitchen cloth, with 85 percent being heavily contaminated — 50 percent with E. coli.
Almost a third of kitchen taps in South Africa are unsatisfactory, making them the second dirtiest item in the home.
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