As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Well, the same can be said about the rather pig shaped cloud that spread over the world last year; Popularly known as ‘Killer Swine Flu’ it started out as a storm, but has slowed to a mere drizzle.

Swine flu or influenza caused by the H1N1 virus broke out in April last year and spread out from Mexico across the world. World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic, on 11 June 2009, and the world responded quickly by stocking up on enough Tamiflu and Relenza like the doomsday geeks filling their cellars right before 1999 new year’s eve. The pandemic took hundreds of lives and has affected more than 100,000 people in the UK alone, with around 474 deaths reported to date.

One year on, where are we now? Well, common sense has prevailed and people have realized that swine flu is preventable and can be controlled. Swine flu is spread the same way as a common cold by coughing or sneezing. Therefore the best way to prevent it is to sneeze or cough into a tissue (dispose off quickly) and wash and dry your hands more frequently. It’s good practice to wash your hands with warm water and soap and scrub your hands for the length of time it takes to sing “happy birthday”. You should then dry your hands thoroughly. In addition to this, it is recommended you use instant hand sanitisers to prevent cross contamination.

Swine Flu, like any other influenza, can only be symptomatically treated with an antiviral like Tamiflu and a lot of rest. Although most people recover from swine flu within a few weeks, the danger from swine flu arises when there are other complications like viral pneumonia, generally acquired by hospital visits.

Now, ‘Hygiene Matters’ a report released by SCA, a global personal care and tissues manufacturer, reveals that 4 out of 10 people have changed their hygiene habits post the swine flu scare. According to the report, which studied attitudes towards hygiene in 9 countries, 75% of the public admitted to being less conscious about hygiene before the swine flu epidemic broke out. 8 out of 10 people now wash their hands more frequently. During and after the swine flu season, the sales of certain products like tissues and hand sanitisers shot up by 70%. People started stocking up on everything from thermometers to face masks. Drug manufacturers like GSK had a roaring second quarter with sales going up 20 fold.

To look on the bright side, it is likely that at least 2 in 5 people around you now wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitiser, which is good because after all ‘Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases’.

Have you noticed a distinct change in hygiene habits of people around you? Tell us what you think.