An ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure, but an ounce of Purell hand sanitizer could be what is most effective for keeping diseases off campus.
As staph infections and influenza become more prevalent, colleges have put more resources into hand-washing campaigns, according to a recent article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Schools around the country have distributed hand sanitizer to students, using posters and gimmicks to attempt to get students into the habit. The University of Central Florida has a mascot that hands out sanitizer from a plastic urinal called the "Fifth Guy," named for the statistic that only one in five males washes his hands after using the bathroom.
At Tufts, where Purell dispensers are installed in nearly every dorm bathroom, students and officials alike are promoting the use of hand sanitizer to keep students healthy.
Health Service Clinic Manager Kathleen O'Dea said that she has worked closely with many other departments to promote such health and cleanliness on campus.
"I was the one who several years ago felt it was very important to do a hand-washing campaign," O'Dea said. "I recommended we get Purell and distribute it to the university. We distributed it to all the departments with hand-washing information for students as well as all the staff here."
O'Dea said it was difficult to discern whether the increased prevalence of sanitizer on campus has achieved significant awareness or results.
"It's kind of hard to tell," she said. "Probably students do show a little more awareness. When we see students in the walk-in clinic, most of the clinicians here use one of our lines, which is 'make sure you wash your hands frequently'. You seem to get people who are acknowledging it and who understand it's important."
Sophomore Nadine Kesten, volunteer coordinator for Public Health at Tufts (PHAT), said that she has noticed the efforts of Health Service.
"In every bathroom I've seen signs," Kesten said. "I think it's funny that Tufts needs to remind people, but it's a good thing to do, especially in a dorm where it's easy to spread germs."
Kesten explained that raising awareness about hand washing is an important public health goal.
"Public health is about doing preventative things. Hand washing is one of the preventative measures," she said. "Even washing hands can stop the spread of illness, so if you can educate people about that, then they will be less likely to get sick, and that's what public health is about."
Kesten believes that students' behavior changes can stem from less conventional approaches that go beyond bathroom reminders.
"Maybe if there was some group that did a presentation to show a look at all the germs that are on your hands, it would be something shocking as opposed to more signs that people just ignore," she said.
But the emphasis on products like Purell is surrounded by a controversial debate over the role that such products should play in hygienic routines. Some health authorities believe that by killing bacteria before the body can attempt to fight them, hand sanitizer does more harm than good.
Stuart Levy, the director of Tufts' Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance and president of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, is a vocal opponent of regular use of hand sanitizer. The Daily Health News reported last week that Levy believes that hand sanitizer can contribute to bacteria's mutation into stronger germs and kill good germs alongside the bad. He also said it produces chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
Regardless of its controversy, the use of hand sanitizers is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Tufts freshman Kenny Brand said that widespread implementation of Purell dispensers on campus has already made a significant impact.
"People tend to use it because it's really easy and you don't need water. I don't think it's a sure fire way to kill bacteria, but it's better than nothing and if it's around people will use it," he said.
Brand, who works at the fitness center, said that for the most part, he thinks that Tufts students practice good hygiene.
"I think at any college disease is always going to spread. Some people are conscious of it and others aren't, but we're pretty good as far as health goes."
While working at the gym, Brand observes many people who take time to clean off their equipment when they're finished.
"Most of the time, when I'm there I see people finish and they use the towels and wipe the machine off," he said.
Freshman Alec Ernest, another fitness center employee, also has noticed hygienic behavior at the gym.
"I don't know if there's hand sanitizer at the gym, but there are definitely those wipes that have antibacterial stuff for cleaning the equipment, and people use them all the time," Ernest said. "When I work, we refill them at least twice in three hours."
Still, Ernest said that outside of the gym, fellow students do not observe such high standards of cleanliness.
"Nobody washes their hands or flushes the toilet on my floor," he said.
O'Dea said that as long as there are people who continue to avoid the sink or the Purell dispensers, more could be done to raise awareness about the importance of hand washing.
"Everyone can always do things," she said. "Hand washing isn't as exciting as other things, but having reminders around certainly would be helpful. "
And in the fight against disease, getting people to wash their hands more frequently or for the proper amount of time could mean much healthier Jumbos.
"It makes a huge difference," O'Dea said.
