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By Casey Musarra
With the most recent break out of the H1N1 virus — more commonly known as swine flu — Ithaca College and Cornell University have both been taking precautionary measures that include advising students to use hand sanitizer on a regular basis.
Ithaca College in particular has distributed more bottles of hand sanitizer throughout campus in an attempt to limit the number of swine flu victims.
Though hand sanitizer can be beneficial in protecting students against harmful germs, bio-medicine.org says there can be negative side effects. The Web site states that alcohol in most hand sanitizers can cause cracks in skin that open a pathway directly to the bloodstream.
While the site argues that hand sanitizers can be damaging to skin, Dr. Lewis Drusin, a Cornell University professor of clinical medicine, said H1N1 is contracted through the air, so using hand sanitizer doesn’t necessarily prevent the contraction of the virus.
“Flu is transmitted through the nasal route and the respiratory tract” he said. “We’re really stressing to people the importance of using Purell, or alcohol skin preparations, in order to protect themselves from transmitting flu.”
Drusin said that products such as Purell have emoluments built in to help prevent skin from cracking, which then further prevents the contraction of illnesses. Despite that, Drusin said it is not a good idea to use hand sanitizer too often.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to overuse [hand sanitizer],” Drusin said. “For example, I live in New York and when I’m in the subway, sometimes I see people who won’t touch the poll in a subway without Purelling their hands afterwards, and that’s kind of ridiculous. If you use it normally, it won’t alter your normal [germs], so it won’t make you likely to get an infection.”
Ithaca High School senior Sara Spagnoletti contracted the H1N1 virus in June when there was an outbreak at the school.
Before contracting it, she said she took precautionary measure such as washing her hands and using hand sanitizer.
“I was just being careful,” Spagnoletti said. “Anyone who said they weren’t feeling well, I’d try to stay away from. It’s just so contagious that really anything you do, sometimes you just can’t help it. It’s airborne — it’s not like it’s on my hands.”
Drusin said that one of the best ways to prevent the flu is to simply avoid contact with people who have contracted it.
“When you sneeze or cough, the virus is on the droplets that you spit out. And they only travel between three and six feet. So if you’re between three and six feet away from a patient who has the flu, you stand less of a chance of getting it.”
Spagnoletti said after having the flu for three days in June and not being allowed to leave the house for 10 days, she is no longer as careful about avoiding illness.
“I’m a little bit less careful about it just because last year, I worked so hard not to get it, but I got it anyway,” she said. “Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do. At this point, I’ve already had it, so I probably have an immunity. I haven’t gotten sick yet this year, and I haven’t been as careful.”
Ithaca College junior Ashley Brinkerhoff said she uses hand sanitizer on a regular basis and keeps several bottles of it in her room, purse and backpack.
“I first became obsessed once swine flu started around,” she said. “My family sent me packages or when I went home they would give me little bottles of Purell. I just can’t get sick, because if you get sick at school, you’re screwed.”
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