Survey: Hygiene standards in UAE below satisfactory

Not enough hands are being washed in Dubai, according to the results of an international home truth study. The Arab Hygiene Council (AHC) conducted a survey across London, New York, New Delhi, Dubai and Johannesburg, and the findings come as something of a warning for the emirate. Twenty homes from different neighbourhoods in each of these five cities were sampled. And as it turns out, the 20 Dubai houses were teeming with more bacteria than the 20 houses in the other four countries.

Swabs of kitchen taps, counters, chopping boards, cleaning clothe, sponges, toilet flush handles and telephones were analysed for levels of bacteria. Standards in the UAE were below satisfactory. Bacteria such as E. Coli, Pseudomonas app. and Staphylococcus aureus were present in high quantities. Bathrooms, as it turns out, are cleaner than kitchens. Professor John Oxford, a virologist and Chairman of the Global Hygiene Council (GHC), driving his point home told Khaleej Times: “You could eat your breakfast out of the toilet - it's that much cleaner than the regular kitchen.”

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Men especially need to up their standards. Speaking of the many washrooms he's been in, not just in the UAE, Professor Oxford said that all the time he sees men who either just run their hands under the tap without bothering with a proper soap-and-water scrubbing.

According to Dr Muhammad Halwani, a member of AHC and a consultant in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, one of the leading culprits is your bath sponge. Your towels too, could do with a good wash as the “range of contamination” in body sponges, towels and your kitchen - the three hotspots of bacteria - is, on average, “57 to 60 per cent”, varying from household to household.

What are the pathogens you need to watch out for? If swallowed, “these bacteria can cause different symptoms from fever, vomiting and diarrhea, to life-threatening diseases such as meningitis, endocarditis and toxic shock syndrome,” said Halwani. Even though 20 houses are not representative of the condition of the entire country, it is a reminder of the continued presence of the MERS-CoV virus that has contributed to approximately 176 deaths (last official figure).

MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus), used to be known as the Novel Coronavirus or SARS-like virus. According to a report by the World Health Organisation dated January 20, “Among the six new cases reported from the UAE, three were from one family in Abu Dhabi, including a 32-year-old pregnant woman who died on December 2. Before her death, the woman gave birth to a healthy baby, who had no evidence of MERS-CoV infection. One of the recent cases from UAE was a 33-year-old health-care worker who provided direct care for a 68-year-old patient with laboratory-confirmed MERS - CoV infection. The health care worker subsequently developed severe disease requiring mechanical ventilation and haemodialysis, and died.”

To stop, or at least limit, the spread of the 'SARS-like virus' both Hygiene Councils - Arab and Global - have recommended continuous hygiene awareness, especially those travelling regularly: wash your hands eight times a day, not least of all when you enter the house.

Results of the study conducted by Dettol indicate that 68 per cent of homes tested in the UAE fell significantly below their counterparts in India (66 per cent), South Africa (23 per cent), UK (46 per cent) and USA (34 per cent). The information was revealed at the annual conference of the Global and Arab Hygiene Councils that took place in Dubai this week, during which medical experts from around the world met to discuss the leading health and hygiene issues currently impacting communities across the globe.

nivriti@khaleejtimes.com

Safeguard your home

. Wash your hands properly 6 to 8 times a day. Make sure everyone in the family does, especially men. If moisture loss is a problem, carry a hand lotion.

. Sanitisers aren't necessary. Unless you work in a hospital, or in a bank where counting notes is a part of your job, or in a supermarket, there is no need to carry sanitisers. Soap and water work fine.

. Children carry more infectious bacteria than pets. Have them wash/bathe when they come back from the playground.

. Bathrooms are found to be cleaner than kitchens.

. Pay special attention to door knobs/handles, lift buttons and keyboards.

. Clean your cellphones with disinfectants.

. Pay attention to counters and surfaces you touch equally, not just the floors.

. When mopping homes, change the disinfectant-filled water once you're done with a room. Clean the mops, too.

. Heat will kill germs. Rags/dusters/sponges need to be sterilised. Boil/microwave them for a few seconds.

Simple steps taken will safeguard your home from disease and break the chain of bacteria transfer.