If there is some good news in the age of coronavirus, research from the Health Hand Washing Survey shows that during the past 11 years an increasing number of Americans are heeding the message about washing their hands to protect themselves from flu outbreaks. The question then becomes: Are facilities equipped to support hand washing as people return to their regular public activities?
In 2009, the year H1N1 hit the United States, only 45% of Americans said they washed their hands more frequently or thoroughly in response to flu virus outbreaks. By 2019, the number of flu-fighting hand washers in the U.S. had risen to 79%.