According to a national survey, this year more than a quarter of Americans (28 percent) are more concerned about getting sick with the flu than they were one year ago. The top two reasons driving their worry include new strains that aren’t covered by the flu vaccine and strains that are mutating or becoming stronger.

On a positive note, the vast majority of Americans know how to protect themselves from the cold and flu. 96 percent agree hand washing is the best way to remove germs and avoid spreading them and 87 percent know that sneezing into the crook of their elbow reduces the risk of sharing an illness. The survey also found that 61 percent wash their hands more frequently, more thoroughly or longer in response to flu outbreaks.

The findings are part of the 2015 Healthy Hand Washing Survey conducted by Bradley Corporation, a leading manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, partition cubicles, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers.

“Influenza is an unpredictable virus and this year the flu has been particularly widespread, partly because this year's vaccine is not a great match with the current circulating strains of virus,” says Dr. Nasia Safdar, medical director of infection control at UW Hospital and Clinics. “The virus is transmitted by contact and by droplets from sneezing and coughing. Thus, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette are essential for prevention.”

Despite the fact that Americans recognize the best ways to shield themselves from cold and flu germs, some popular myths still exist. For example, 71 percent of the country erroneously think that taking vitamin C protects against colds, hand washing with hot water is more effective (63 percent) and dressing in warm clothes protects one from a cold (42 percent). 

Even though vitamin C has been touted for the common cold since the 1970s, experts say there’s very little scientific proof it has any effect. In terms of hand washing, the temperature of the water makes no difference. Instead, the keys are lathering up thoroughly and scrubbing vigorously for at least 20 seconds as recommended by the CDC. However, according to the survey, nearly 60 percent of Americans wash their hands for just 15 seconds or less, which is not nearly long enough. Finally, there’s no evidence that bundling up wards off colds.

Stopping Germs in Their Tracks

The Healthy Hand Washing Survey also found that 70 percent of Americans take some practical steps to avoid getting or spreading germs but, in general, don’t obsess about it. Thankfully, 73 percent say they stay home when they’re sick. And, although surgical masks are common in other countries, just three percent of Americans say they’d wear a mask as a way to deter germs.

However, when using public restrooms, Americans do feel the need to employ a variety of germ avoidance strategies. 57 percent operate the toilet flusher with their foot, 55 percent use a paper towel to avoid touching the door handle directly and 45 percent use their hip to open and close doors.

In the workplace, Americans take definitive steps to reduce their contact with a sick colleague’s germs. 62 percent say they avoid being near the ill co-worker, 56 percent wash their hands more frequently, 55 percent stand further away when talking to the colleague and 53 percent avoid shaking the person’s hand. Interestingly, 32 percent say they’ll tell the sick colleague to go home and three percent will stay home from work – even though they’re not the one who is sick.

The survey also looked at hand washing habits in public restrooms. It found that 92 percent of Americans believe it’s important to wash their hands after using a public restroom yet 66 percent admit they’ve on occasion skipped the soap and simply rinsed with water. Women in general seem to take hand washing more seriously. They’re less likely to skip hand washing after using a public restroom and they’re less likely to say they frequently see someone leave a public restroom without washing their hands.

Restroom Woes

            Unfortunately, nearly 60 percent of Americans say they’ve had a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the condition of the facilities. The top complaints are: a really bad smell (80 percent of respondents cited odors); toilets that are clogged or not flushed (78 percent have encountered toilet troubles); and an overall appearance that’s dirty, unkempt or old (72 percent noted this).

            For businesses an unpleasant restroom experience creates negative perceptions. A majority of consumers believe a bad restroom indicates poor management, lowers their opinion of the company and shows the business doesn’t care about customers.

The Healthy Hand Washing Survey queried 1,030 American adults online Jan. 5-16, 2015 about their hand washing habits in public restrooms and concerns about germs, colds and the flu. Participants were from around the country, ranged in age from 18 to 65 and older, and were fairly evenly split between men and women (47 and 53 percent).