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Mission: staying healthy on vacation
Even in private life, there are situations in which it makes sense to disinfect hands or surfaces. This includes vacation trips, for example, because travel illnesses such as diarrhoea are not only extremely unpleasant but can also often be avoided with good hygiene.
Being sick on vacation is not rare
The results of a representative survey from Germany show that in 2023, 8% of all travellers fell ill on vacation. With 63%, colds were the most common infectious disease, while gastrointestinal infections were reported by 12% [1]. Infections during vacation are often caused by viruses or bacteria that come into contact with mucous membranes—especially mouth, nose, and eyes—via the hands and use these as an entry into the body. Particularly in exotic countries, the travellers’ immune system comes into touch with unfamiliar pathogens that cannot be fought as effectively as familiar ones. In addition, fungi and bacteria, for example, feel comfortable at higher temperatures and can sometimes survive on surfaces for months [2].
When to disinfect the hands when traveling?
In many cases, washing the hands thoroughly with soap and water will do. Since germs cannot be seen with the naked eye, this does not only apply to visibly dirty hands. Particular attention should be paid to good hand hygiene [3]:
before eating or preparing meals
before handling medication or cosmetics
after using the toilet or changing diapers
after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing
after touching waste
after contact with animals, animal food, or animal waste
In private life, thorough hand washing includes soaping your hands including fingertips, thumbs, and spaces between fingers for around 20 to 30 seconds [3]. However, clean water and soap are not always and everywhere available. Especially in countries with low hygiene standards, tap water—if available—may be contaminated and cleaning products unavailable. Washing your hands is also of little use if you have to dry them on a shared towel or use the naked hands afterwards to operate door handles. In these cases, a highly effective hand disinfectant such as Sterillium® that kills 99.99% of bacteria, fungi, and enveloped viruses proves useful when traveling.
Don’t neglect skin care
Proper skin care is particularly important when washing the hands frequently. Frequent washing often dries out the skin of hands stronger than using high-quality, moisturizing hand disinfectants. This makes it easier for pathogens to penetrate the skin. To ensure that the skin’s natural protective function remains intact, the skin should be well maintained even on vacation. Mild, nourishing products with skin-friendly surfactants are best for handwashing, while care products with allantoin, vitamin E and panthenol provide moisture.
When to disinfect surfaces when traveling?
On frequently touched surfaces such as handrails, door handles, or ATMs, masses of germs can be usually found. In public spaces, however, it makes little sense to disinfect all surfaces before touching them. Hand hygiene should therefore be prioritized here. Different rules may apply for your holiday accommodation or hotel room, where you are on your own and do not want to constantly disinfect your hands. Here, disinfecting certain surfaces such as toilet seats, sink fittings, door handles, or table tops can make sense to ensure greater safety. Wipes such as Sterillium® 2in1 wipes, which eliminate 99.99% of bacteria, yeast and specific viruses on surfaces and can also be used on hands, are ideal for disinfecting surfaces when travelling.
Don‘t underestimate contaminated mobile phones
Nowadays, mobile phones belong to the everyday objects that we touch most often. In addition, they come very close to our faces, making it easy for germs to spread. Due to their proximity to nasal secretions, constant recontamination, pathogen-friendly temperatures, and frequent use while eating, mobile phones offer ideal conditions for microorganisms [4], especially in grooves and scratches. If you want to keep your mobile phone as germ-free as possible, you should disinfect it regularly with a suitable disinfectant wipe. To avoid damaging the sensitive screen surface, particularly material-friendly products such as Sterillium® 2in1 wipes (not suitable for acrylic glas) should be used.
Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
References:
- Forsa report“Summer vacation 2023“(German only) on behalf of the DAK (accessed on July 4, 2024)
- Wißmann JEet al. (2021)Persistence of Pathogens on Inanimate Surfaces: A Narrative Review. Microorganisms9:343.
- https://www.sterillium.info/en/stories-hub/hand-care-hand-hygiene(accessed on July 5, 2024)
- Goldsworthy A et al. (2024) Mobile phone as fomites and Hand hygiene. A survey of 544 attendees of the 2023 WONCA international conference in Sydney, Australia(accessed on July 4, 2024)
