Don't Want the Flu? Wash Your Hands!

As the number of swine flu cases increases, it's really important to remember that it's not the only flu out there. We're still in the regular human flu season and the CDC estimates that about 36,000 people die each flu season in the United States. But there's one very simple thing that we can all do to lower the odds of getting sick from the flu virus (your mom knew it): wash your hands!

Studies show that washing with soap and warm water is as good as, or even a little better than, alcohol gel at killing influenza viruses, including the one that causes swine flu. The action of the soap helps to kill the virus and remove it from your skin, and the warm water washes it all down the drain. The CDC makes a great case for thorough hand washing with this video.

So grab your soap often during the day, lather up and keep yourself healthy!